USS Lowndes APA-154

Newsletter

JULY 1996

BUD KAUTZ CC&BW

7/96-1 U.S.S. LOWNDES - APA 154 REUNION GROUP

JULY 1996 NEWS LETTER

Wm. "Bud" Kautz
34782 Hiawatha Trail
McHenry.IL 60050
(815) 344-6326

(')RE-YUN-YEN Oct.17-20

Martinique Hotel
Oceanfront at 71st Ave. N.
Box 331
Myrtle Beach, SC. 29578
1-800-542-0048
1-803-449-4441*
*Call this number upon arrival
at Airport for shuttle pick up.
Check-in Time 3:00 P.M. or Later
Check-out Time 11:00 A.M. or Earlier

CONTENTS

General information
Reunion schedule
Reunion registration form
Additional activities
Bowman/Richards Log entry
Memories
Deceased list
Hotel registration form
IJ-ADD-4
*Any changes or additions, please notify Bud Kautz

It is 108 days & 15 hours or 2,607 hours or 156,420 minutes or
9,385,200 seconds from midnight July 1st to our reunion in Myrtle Beach
on Oct. 17th.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in 1860
and was readmitted to the Union in 1868. It was also the eighth state
to ratify the Federal Constitution in 1788. Charles Town was renamed
Charleston in 1788. Let it be known that it is illegal to pull sea
oats in South Carolina.

Fred Brinkman received the following correspondence from the Valdosta
& Lowndes County, Georgia Chamber of commerce & William Lowndes III.

Enclosed you will find a brief history of Lowndes County, Georgia,
which indeed was named for the congressman from your state of South
Carolina, William Lowndes. I think the copies I have enclosed will
be self explanatory. However, I have not been able to confirm one way
or the other if the ship you mention, the U.S.S. Lowndes, is named
for the county or the congressman. Mr. John B. Lastinger, our Executive
Vice President of more than 20 years, and a lifelong resident of
Valdosta & Lowndes County, thinks the ship was named for Mr. William
Lowndes and not the county of Lowndes. I am sorry that time would not
permit me to research the matter more thoroughly, but I would be most
interested in learning more about it. If you are able to confirm this
either way, please let me hear from you again.

Martha Ann Taylor

WILLIAM LOWNDES III - Spartanburg, SC - Fred: following opr telephone
conversation I called Professor Vipperman and made arrangements to
obtain two additional copies of the biography of William Lowndes, having
in mind that I would send one of them to you. The professor volunteered,
however, that he planned to send you a copy at the same time he was
sending two copies to me. My son Willy and I look forward to attending
the Friday morning coffee reception and meeting you and the others
at that time. I am sorry to say that our wives will not be able to
join us but they asked that I be sure to tell you how much they
appreciate your kind invitation.

7/96-2

SHIPMATES & MATES INDICATING ATTENDING
U. S. S. LOWNDES EIGHTH REUNION AT MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

Vic Bardenhagen
Agnes Bensie
Fred & Roberta Brinkman
Harold Brunner
Sally Cary
Howard & Lois Chappell
Mitchell & Nonna Chasteen
Jim Davenport
Frank & Joyce DuBois
Stan Dunn
John & Lebby Dyer
Joe & Loreta Freitas
Bob & Joyce Hail
Jack & Evelyn Hovey
Dick Jones & Roseana Pohl
Bud & Jean Kautz
Don & Shirley Lorenzi
Clark Martin
Mike & Jerry Michalski
Leo & Margaret O'Brien
Art & Marjorie Rauseo
Earl & Frances Robertson
James & Ina Ross + 2
Clifford & Mary Schaffer
Dallas & Lorene Stratton
Bill & Amelia Taylor
Dorothy Weaver
Walter & Jackie Umbarger
Dan Wisdom

1996 CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE

This is an up-to-date list as to when the NEWS LETTER goes to press.
If you feel your name has been omitted, please contact Bud Kautz.

Mitchell Chasteen
Dean Fearing
Jack Hovey
David Long
Don Macpherson
William Markus

Clark Martin
C. C. Michalski
Francis Miller
John Morrissey
Leo O'Brien
William Ramsey

Florence Richards
James Ross
Dallas Stratton
William Thomas
Bernard Tracz
George Weick

Don Lorenzi has undertaken a worthwhile endeavor - attempting to garner
all videos taken at our reunions and combining them on one video tape
to be made available for shipmates at our Myrtle Beach reunion in
October. He is lacking tapes from the Boston and San Diego reunions.
Anyone having same - PLEASE forward them to Don. They will be returned
to the owners upon completion of this formidable task. We ask for
the co-operation of our crew members. Don't delay.

Note: You will be contacted by Sally Cary - Lowndes Lovelies, CEO regarding the
upcoming raffle to be held at the Saturday evening banquet. Please respond promptly.

7/96-3

William "Bud" Kautz
USS LOWNDES APA 154 REUNION
34782 Hiawatha Trail
McHenry, Illinois 60050

TO MEMBERS OF THE USS LOWNDES APA 154 REUNION:

It's time to register for the 8th Annual USS Lowndes Reunion to be held at Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina on October 17-20, 1996, and to make reservations at the Myrtle Beach Martinique
Resort Hotel, headquarters hotel for the Reunion.

Enclosed is a Reunion Registration Form for you to complete and mail with your check to Fred
Brinkman (host for the 1996 Reunion) at 1140 Green Valley Lane, Columbia, SC, 29210.

Also enclosed is a Hotel Reservation Request Card that should be sent directly to:

Myrtle Beach Martinique
Attention: Reservations Manager
7100 North Ocean Boulevard
P.O. Box 331
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

Please make your hotel reservations and send your Reunion registration as soon as possible.

Space is provided on the back of the registration form for you to indicate your interest or request
more information on some of the free time or optional activities that will be available during or
before and after the Reunion.

We hope to see you at Myrtle Beach on October 17-20.
Sincerely,

William "Bud" Kautz
Enclosures

7/96-4 TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

USS LOWNDES APA 154 8™ ANNUAL REUNION

OCTOBER 17-20, 1996
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

THURSDAY. OCTOBER 17th

10:00 a.m. - 6 p.m. - Check-in and Registration at the Myrtle Beach Martinique Resort Hotel.
Hospitality Room open.

Dinner on your own.

7:00 p.m. - Buses depart for American Pride Show at Alabama Theatre, an Opryland production
of history of music with song and dance.

10:00 p.m. - Return to Hotel. Hospitality Room open.

FRIDAY. OCTOBER 18th

Breakfast on your own.

8:30 a.m. - Buses leave hotel for tour of Myrtle Beach area attractions, to include coffee

reception at South Carolina Hall of Fame with descendants of William Lowndes, visit
to historic Brookgreen Gardens, Waccamaw Pottery and Fantasy Harbour and
Broadway at the Beach, with lunch on your own.

2:30 p.m. - Return to hotel. Hospitality Room open.

4:30 p.m. - Buses leave for Dixie Stampede with full dinner and galloping entertainment and
expert horsemanship in arena-style theatre.

7:30 p.m. - Return to hotel. Hospitality Room open.

SATURDAY. OCTOBER 19th

Breakfast on your own.

Free-time day with choice of activities to include walking on beach, swimming pools at hotel,
fishing on ocean pier, miniature golf and par 3 golf, and golf driving range at nearby hotel.

11:00 a.m. - Trolley bus transportation to Broadway at the Beach, shopping, restaurant and
entertainment center. Return at 2:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. - Photo session and USS Lowndes Reunion business meeting.

6:45 p.m. - Reception in Hospitality Room.

7:30 p.m. - Annual USS Lowndes Banquet with entertainment, raffle and special presentations.

Following Banquet - Hospitality Room open.

SUNDAY. OCTOBER 20th

6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - USS Lowndes S.O.S. Buffet Breakfast
Churches within short walking distance of hotel.
Free-time activities.

7/96-5

REUNION REGISTRATION FORM
USS LOWNDES APA 154 8™ ANNUAL REUNION
Thursday - Sunday
October 17-20, 1996
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Please complete this registration form and send with your check made payable to
Fred Brinkman.

Mail to: Fred Brinkman

USS Lowndes 1996 Reunion
1140 Green Valley Lane
Columbia, SC 29210

MAIN FUNCTIONS FOR REUNION COST PER NO. OF TOTALS
PERSON PERSONS

Thursday Evening American Pride Music
Show and Transportation $18.00 _____ $_____

Friday Bus Tour of Myrtle Beach Area
Attractions and Reception $25,00 _____ $_

Friday Evening Dinner and Show at Dixie
Stampede $22.00 _____ $_

Saturday Evening Banquet and
Reception and Sunday Breakfast $30.00 _____ $_

TOTAL COST:__________________$95.00_______________

AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $

ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL AND FREE-TIME ACTIVITIES:

Please turn page and check any of the listed subjects that may be of interest to you during (or
before or after) the 1996 USS Lowndes Reunion so that additional information can be sent to you

Continued

7/96-6

PAGE TWO
ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL AND FREE-TIME ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE

After completing the registration form on other side, please check spaces below for any activities
that may be of interest to you. We will contact you prior to the Reunion to send more
information or make reservations, if needed, regarding your listed interests.

A. TRAVEL TO AND FROM MYRTLE BEACH:

___ We plan to drive. Send map of Myrtle Beach and how to get there.

___ We plan to fly. Need free transportation from Myrtle Beach Airport to Myrtle Beach
Martinique Hotel and return.

B. OPTIONAL AND FREE-TIME ACTIVITIES DURING REUNION

(Check spaces for items of possible interest to you)

ACTIVITY COST

___ Walking or Sunning on Beach.............................................................................. Free

___ Indoor and Outdoor Hotel Swimming Pools........................................................ Free

___ Fishing on Ocean Pier (Saturday)......................................................................... Free

___ Fitness Center at Hotel ........................................................................................Free

___ Saturday Trolley Bus Tour to Broadway-at-the-Beach Shopping, Dining and

Entertainment Area.............................................................................................. Free

___ Miniature Golf Course Game (Near Hotel)........................................................ $1.50

___ Golf Driving Range (Near Hotel)....................................................................... $2.00

___ Par Three Golf- 18-Holes, Each Hole Less Than 100 Yards (Near Hotel)......... $4.50

C. ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES INVOLVING FEES OR ADMISSION AND

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS (FOR THOSE WHO MAY ARRIVE EARLY OR STAY A DAY
OR MORE AFTER THE REUNION).

(Send more information on any of the items checked below)

___ Regulation Golf(18-Hole Courses average 6,300 yards)
___ A Waterway Cruise in the Myrtle Beach Area
___ Eddie Arnold Concert at Alabama Theatre
___ Kenny Rogers Concert at Palace Theatre - Broadway at the Beach
___ Calvin Gilmore's Carolina Opry (Myrtle Beach's Original Music Theatre)
___ Snoopy's Magic-on-Ice (World Class Skaters, Music and Magic)
___ Gatlin Brothers Theatre (Country, Gospel and Contemporary Music)
___ Medieval Times (Dinner and Horsemanship Duels and Entertainment)
___ Ronnie Milsap Theatre (Country, Rock, Pop, Rhythm and Blues)
___ Visit to USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial at Wilmington
___ Visit to Patriots Point Navy Museum at Charleston
___ Other (Please List)

WASHINGTON, D.C.

THE UNITED STATES NAVY
MEMORIAL FOUNDATION TAKES
PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THAT

"DONALD WILLIAM BOWMAN"

HAS BEEN ENROLLED IN
THE NAVY MEMORIAL LOG

BY

U.S. S. LOWNDES - APA 154
SHIPMATES

WASHINGTON. D.C.

THE UNITED STATES NAVY
MEMORIAL FOUNDATION TAKES
PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THAT

"NORMAN ROBERT RICHARDS"

HAS BEEN ENROLLED IN
THE NAVY MEMORIAL LOG

BY

U. S. S. LOWNDES - APA 154
SHIPMATES

United States Navy Memorial

The United States Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania
Avenue in our nation's capital was conceived by
Capital Architect Pierre L'Enfant two hundred years
ago. Designed as a "living" tribute to all who have
served in the U.S. Navy, are serving or will serve, the
Memorial is midway between the Capitol and the
White House. It features a public amphitheater where
concerts are performed throughout the summer
by the U.S. Navy Band and other armed services
musical groups.

The deck of the amphitheater displays a world map,
100 feet in diameter, in shades of granite outlining the
vastness of the ocean areas where the symbolic Lone
Sailor serves. The memorial is surrounded by pools of
cascading water, fountains, bronze reliefs. It portrays
a history of service by men and women who gallantly
and courageously have worn the Navy blue since 1775.

The Navy Memorial Visitors center is adjacent to the
Navy Memorial in the Market Square East building.
This Visitors Center houses the Navy Memorial Log
Room, Arleigh and Roberta Burke Theater, Ship's
Store, ship and aircraft photo kiosks and conference
site. The Memorial Log is a special feature of the
Visitors Center and is a computerized "ship's com-
pany" of men and women who have served or are
serving in and with the U.S. Navy and other sea
services, and have contributed to the Navy Memorial.
The log continues to grow as Navy veterans enter
their own names, or are sponsored into the log by
relatives or friends.

United States Navy Memorial
Washington DC

7/96-3

LYMAN NEDEAU - Baldwin, MI & Naples, FL - A little more of my hitch
in the Navy. I was transferred from one duty, which I don't remember,
to a refueling station on the island of Tulagi. We had several large
tanks (5 or 6) and the tankers came in and filled us up, whenever
we ran low. It was good, because they came straight from the States
and had fresh food, eggs, etc. We would trade them stuff we had,
souvenirs, monkeys, parrots. Also took some of the crew hunting for
those big lizards, boy, were they fast and not an easy target tc
hit. I was in charge, had several men under me. We did all the
maintenance, lived in a large screened in tent that was up on 55
gallon drums, it was nice. The supply barges anchored in the harbor
and we could get almost anything that was available. I remember Joe
Botti CMM. He always let me know that I was a reservist in the Navy.
I often wondered how long the regular Navy could have lasted if we
had not been there to help.

WALTER KARSON - Elk River, MN - Saw on the news a while back that
a crew searching in the jungles of Espiritu Santo found the wreckage
of a Catalina with remains of the crew still in their seats. Remember
the USS Lowndes pulling in there and we loaded on some heavy road
machinery and many drums of aviation fuel. If my memory serves me
right we headed for Northern Honshu, Japan.

FRANK MILLER - Kearns, UT - I went to our local library and picked
up a book" Atlas of Battles by Richard Natkiel" and lo and behold
the first page I opened it to had a picture of an LCVP all shot up
on the beach at Two Jima. The number was clear - PA 154-21. Maybe
some one knows who was on No. 21 at Iwo.

J. SHELTON SCALES - Martinsville, VA - "Iwo Jima - "A Legacy of Valor"
By Bill D. Ross will give the full picture of this campaign and will,
I'm sure answer many questions concerning the Marine Corps
involvement, such as Divisions, Battalions, etc. Specifically, my
3rd Battalion (23rd Marines, 4th Marine division) with attached units,
making a total of approximately 1500 men that were on the USS Lowndes
- APA 154 for the Iwo operation. I was the CO. Our 3rd Bn. landed
in reserve about 1300 on D-Day, 19, Feb. 1945 passed through the
1st Bn. 23rd and continued the attack. Of 24 infantry Bn. CO' s on
Iwo, 5 were, 14 WIA and only 5 of us (me included) escaped with
out a purple heart.

AGNES BENSIE - Parma, OH - First of all, thanks for the phone call
(Jean & Bud) it was a great surprise. I really did miss going to
the reunion in San Antonio and seeing all of you. I spent all of
February and March in Florida this winter. The thought of being alone
was too much, 48 years is a long time. If all goes well, I plan to
drive to Myrtle Beach this year. I'm sure Fred and Roberta will
arrange a terrific reunion.

Note: A reminder to shipmates to be sure to return the form listing
preferences for the activities to Fred Brinkman. It will help to
make his job easier for the USS Lowndes Eighth Annual Reunion in
Myrtle Beach. He has been hard at work to make this reunion a success.
Let's not give him an ulcer.

GEORGE TUPPAN - LaHabra Heights, CA - Just finished reading the
Lowndes News Letter. Your mail service and my mail service are finally
working together, not one tear (to pull apart), tear (weeping/sorrow)
the News Letter came through in A 1 condition. A thought comes to
mind, with my coffee I like sugar and cream. Our cream was a can
of evaporated milk. Since being discharged I have never used it again.
Also when we were in port and the fresh milk came aboard word spread
throughout the ship "Fresh Milk". The cook, with a cleaver slashed
a few holes in the can and started to pour it into some pitchers.
3h how good it tasted.

MIKE MICHALSKI - Austin, TX - In the engine room of the Lowndes
is where I stood my watch on the throttle. Just before the end of
the watch I would always clean up the area around the coffee pot
and brew a fresh batch. The gang coming on watch, especially at
midnight or 4:00 AM would always smile as they came down the ladder
when they saw me on the throttle - they knew a fresh batch of "Eye
opener" was waiting. However, when Mr. Lyons was the officer of the
watch - he made the coffee and to put it plainly - it was stout.
There was a young, husky built blond fellow from the Bronx who always
said whatever was fitting, regardless who ever was present! When
he came down the ladder the night Mr. Lyons had brewed his special
stout blend he got his cup of coffee and came over and joined in
on the conversation as he stirred his coffee with a spoon. About
the time our conversation slowed a bit he pulled the spoon out of
the cup and there was no ladle on the stem. He looked at it in
amazement as he dropped it and said "Who expects us to drink this
stuff that's so strong it ate the ladle off the spoon?" Of course
he said this right in front of Mr. Lyons, knowing exactly who made
it. Coffee - Good and Bad.

BERNARD M. TRACZ - Campbell, OH - Going over the list of shipmates,
I see a few names that I wrote to a long time ago. I'll see if I
can contact some of them again. Some guys just aren't letter writers
so we lost touch. Two names on the list: Wendell W. Coffey passed
away a couple of years after the war. Joseph A. Kubina died aboard
the Lowndes near one of the islands at the beginning of our Naval
cruise. Had liver problems. He was from Youngstown, OH. Sorry to
hear about Clement M. Hoffman passing away. We talked on the phone
as he didn't want to write letters. He was a good friend aboard ship
and helped get me the job in the coding room. Whenever a message
would be received for our ship or fleet I would work with the
Communication Officer and decode the message and route them to
whomever the Captain wanted them to be read and signed for. I will
be seeing Bill Davis again next August for more fishing.

LORENE STRATTON - Belleview, FL - Our son Jimmy passed away on March
7th, he was 48 years old on March 3rd. He died of spinal meningitis.
We didn't know he was so sick until February 27th. This has been
a sad spring for us. Dallas is still playing softball and his team
again qualified for they world series to be held in Detroit. On March
30th we went to Texas for our niece's wedding. On April 1st, on our
way home a deer ran out in front of us - did over $1600.00 damage
to my car. Everyone says Dallas will kill a deer one way or the other.
Hope to see our shipmates in Myrtle Beach.

IWO-ADD

JAMES G. DAVENPORT - San Antonio, TX - I came from Bandero, Texas,
population about 900. While we were loading troop at Pearl Harbor I
was standing at the rail watching them come aboard and saw Pete Heimen,
a fellow Banderian come up the gang plank. He was in the Sea Bees and
went on Iwo Jima the first day and survived the whole battle. Also
on Iwo was my brother-in-law Wm. Manning, a Marine he came through
The best I can recall, the Beach Party landed on Red Beach about mid-
morning 20, Feb.'45 and had to carry all of our equipment to Yellow
Beach. Things were fairly quiet for awhile but after awhile Jim Bussard
was wounded very badly. There was a lull until late afternoon when
the Japs began shelling our beach with mortars. I along with S. LaTender
and about 10 or 15 other men were all in a large sort of hole (believe
it was a shell hole) with sacks of Iwo "sand" stacked all around. It
wasn't much protection. I told LaTender that I was moving from there
and he agreed. I ran up to our headquarters where the corpsmen were,
there was a foxhole large enough for three men. I was in it with
*Collier and *Coleman, both of Houston. Shortly after I got in that
hole I saw a mortar make a direct hit in the place *LaTender and I
had just vacated. After that it was a nightmare with shells raining
all over the place. At one time I got out and went over a few yards
to where the medics were and helped carry some casualties down to the
beach where a boat had pulled through a break in the wreckage that
littered the beach. On one of the trips a star shell lit up the night
and I looked down and saw that the casualty I was helping carry was
*Darrel Easter, he looked like he was hit pretty bad. Often wonder
how they made out. Those were three days that are quite foggy in my
mind. I helped carry ammunition nearly all day from the beach up to
a Marine artillery that was shelling the Japs. It was either the 2nd
or 3rd day. I will never forget where I spent my 30th birthday, 21 ,
Feb.'45. If the situation hadn't been so sad it would have been funny
when *Mr. Pinnell tried to call muster on our last day. When we finally
got on board that LST I felt safe at last. We were in the mess eating
a hot meal for the first time in 4 days, that was the only air raid
that I can recall of the battle. It was a great relief to finally get
back to the good old USS Lowndes - APA 154. Okinawa was yet to come.

Note: *All members of the USS Lowndes Beach Party.

EDWIN G. McKELLAR - Waianae HI - Have a little story regarding a friend
of mine. Harry Hawkins, who was with the 4th Marines, that we on the
Lowndes took into Iwo Jima during WWII. Iwo Jima was his 4th invasion
and there he lost an arm. I had known Harry for a couple of years before
we discussed Iwo, which was just recently and he didn't remember the
ship's name that took him in after the battle, so I related this story
to him. The officer's wardroom on the USS Lowndes was used for an
operating room. The Lowndes was a relief, hospital ship and had run
out of clean places on the ship to do emergency operations. We lived
on sandwiches for a few days which we picked up from the officer's
galley. One day at noon I felt a little hungry and was descending the
ladder that came down between the galley and the wardroom. As I reached
the bottom of the ladder and was about to turn right to the galley,
a hospital corpsman emerged from the operating room with an arm on
a platter, and calmly threw it over the side. I immediately lost my
appetite and, for that reason, would never forget the incident. I told
Harry that could have been his arm.

BUD KAUTZ - McHenry, IL - I can add to the above tale. As I passed
a sick bay I heard a Marine who just had an arm amputated say, "Oh
well, I didn't want to play tennis anyway." Same guy?

DICK JONES - DULUTH, MN - At Iwo Jima our boats could take 36 men
in and out several times. We lost our boat on the 5th day at Two
Jima while bringing in ammunition to the beach. As we backed out
they (a deck hand and a Motor Mac.) rolled the ramp up, but we shipped
Water. The line commander came alongside and said we should abandon
the boat and he took us in to shore and told us to take the first
boat we could and get out of there. We were on the beach for about
an hour before we could get on a boat that came in. While I was on
the beach I remember a guy following behind a tank, and the Japanese
were shooting at it...and of course, we were there when the Marines
raised the flag on Mount Suribachi. It was quite a moment to see
that flag go up after all the fighting. I was 18 years old at that
time. One night a group of between 20 and 30 boats were tied up
together. The Japanese were known for sending out kamikaze swimmers
out to attach explosives to ship hulls. All of a sudden somebody
yelled, "Jap in the water!" But it was probably somebody dead floating
around. All the boats scattered out in the ocean. We wound up getting
lost. One of the crew was supposed to be on watch, but he fell asleep.
The sea valve on the boat was stuck, and over the course of a few
hours the boat began to sink. He had to dive down there and clean
that thing out...It was pitch black that night. We were in the middle
of the ocean it seemed like, and we could have easily drifted out
to where we wouldn't have been able to make it back. We pumped the
water out and the Marines were shooting up star (pyrotechnics) to
light the battle front up. We saw it, way off, and we knew we were
out there. We took off toward the star and made our way back. Most
Marines in the landing crafts jumped into harm's way without
hesitation. But, occasionally, there were those who were reluctant.
It was a tremendous confusion going in there. The Navy was shelling
the island from battleships. Shells going overhead like freight
trains. Planes were strafing the island. A couple of Marines would
not get out and stayed in the boat. It wasn't too hard to figure
out why they were reluctant to go out there. I don't know whatever
happened to those guys.

JOEL RODRIQUEZ - Hidalgo, TX - I almost didn't make the battle at
Iwo Jima. I was a little short of my 17th birthday in boot camp at
San Diego and before we were out of boot camp they found out that
I was only 16 and told me I had to be 17. They had checked with the
church in McAllen, TX, so I told them to double check, maybe there
was a mistake in the records. By that time, I was already out of
boot camp and headed overseas. Also recalled that the Marines did
not think much of the Navy boys, and the feeling was mutual -- until
the fireworks started then everyone pitched in and did the job that
we all were trained to do. Ed King of Cool, CA was the coxswain on
my boat. The USS Lowndes crew spent an important part of our lives
together and I'm glad we can still be in touch. When the flag was
raised on Mount Suribachi it was a moment that signaled the defeat
of the Japanese. "Yeah, that was quite a moment."

JOHN A. VERNALE - Farmington, CT - My experiences at Iwo Jima as
I remember February 19, 1945 was a beautiful sunny day and the planes
and ships were bombing Mt. Suribachi. There were periods while the
bombing was going on that Mt. Suribachi was obscured by the smoke
by the smoke of the bombardment. We were circling for hours, finally
we headed for the beach and had to go around the battleship. New
York. We went around the ship and went straight for the beach. We
were still close to the ship when they fired their 16" guns.

JOHN VEKNALE (cont'd) - it was then that I knew what the end of the world would
sound like, the concussion actually moved our boat forward. Our boat was carrying,
6 or 1, I think, when we hit the beach we lowered the ramp and rolled them off,
the Japs were close and shooting at us. I looked over the gunwale and saw one Marine
holding his arm and running as fast as he could to our boat. I saw sand kicking
up all around him while he was running and the Japs were shooting at him. He dove
right into our boat which was 1/3 full of water. We couldn't lift the ramp because
it was full of lava ash. We backed straight out and when we were off the beach
we washed off the ramp and raised it. As for the Marine, his arm was really a mess.
I started to administer first aid, asked him to sit and while I was holding his
arm, took out my knife to cut away the bloody jacket, my hand was shaking real
bad, he let out a big holler and said his arm was cut up enough. He removed the
jacket and I applied sulphur and a bandage. We dropped him off at a hospital ship.
This happened on the third day and we looked for our ship. We were knee deep in
water in our boat. We headed for the USS Lowndes. Our boat was being hoisted on
the Lowndes full of water and when the boat was at ship's level. Bud Kautz jumped
in and removed the strainer from the pump, it was full of sediment, and then the
pump drained all the water out. I was a MoMM and didn't think of doing that. Was
ever embarrassed.

JOE ERLANDSON - Rush City, MN - I remember Dickson and I were in a so called foxhole
with others. I don't remember when, but Bowman came over the edge of the bank and
stood there with a Jap's gold tooth in a pair of pliers. Don't recall how much longer
after that when someone came by and told us Bowman had been killed. If I remember
right, Dickson had been at Guadalcanal before Iwo Jima and was a little more stable
than I was. I wanted to get the hell out of there but he held me back and I thank
him for that. Fred Brinkman mentioned Jerome Freider getting a citation and he sure
deserved it. Remember he was carrying and helping the wounded all the time. We were
carrying ammo or something closer to the front in the middle of the night and he
was taking care of the wounded in the. rain. I believe some of us came off the island
on the 5th day on an LST.

GEORGE KINDLE - Tahlequah - One of the Jap mortars hit close to my boat, knocked
me off the boat and I was unconscious. When I came to the enemy bullets were flying
in the water all around me. one of the boat crew was Carroll Brown and another
"Red* Sarten kept their heads and turned the boat engine off so it wouldn't drag
me under the water and cut me up. They managed to get me out of the water and that
was part of the Iwo battle. It was also quite a sight to see how the dead Marines
were buried and seeing bodies floating in the water. One Marine lost his head and
instead of hitting the ground after leaving the boat he started running and ran
into a hail of bullets.

ORBIE L. DICKSON - Mt. Pleasant, TX - Bowman came over to the foxhole that Joe
Eriandson and I were in with a tooth held in a pair of pliers or forceps. He didn't
have long as he was as busy as a cat on a hot tin roof. We did board a LST but had
to wait until high tide the next day to leave the beach. The next morning some of
us went back on the beach for a few minutes. That's when I discovered the foxhole
Joe and I were in had received a direct hit during the night, killing all occupants.
Another incident, not funny but comical, now 50 years later, during the heat of
battle (2nd day I believe) I was down the beach when mortars started coming our
way. I dove into a bomb crater. A Seabee dove in a second later. He was hit on his
right hand between the thumb and forefinger. He stuck his hand over and I was
applying pressure when a Seabee Lt. stepped up to the edge of the crater - referred
to all of us as chickens, that the mortars were too far away to do damage. I said
"Sir" and held up the boys hand. The Lt. turned white and dove to the bottom of
the crater. I guess he turned chicken also.

USS LOWNDES APA 154 DECEASED PERSONNEL

Donald William BOWMAN (Iwo Jima Campaign)
Norman Robert RICHARDS (Iwo Jima Campaign)

B.L. BAILEY

E. BENSIE

BOTTI

BRACEY

J.E. BRISCOE

E.C. BROWN

D.S. BURK

S. CAROTHERS

J.F. CARY

CHILDREY

CHRISTIAN

COFFEY

O.C. COLLINS

R.D. COLLINS

A.B. CORBETT

DAHMS

G. DENNIS

DERUGA

DETIVEAU

DEVERAUX

DRENNAN

R.E. DUNN

ECHOLS

ENGLE

ERLING

FOLLETT

FREDERICK

FRIEDER

GOLEMBOWSKI

GUNNELL

GROH

GUIMONT

GUNDERSON

J.W. HALL

M.W. HART

HATTEN

HERRINGTON

HINTON

C.M. HOFFMAN

G.R. HOLLEY

J.R. JOHNSON

L.A. JOHNSON

KINDLE

KIEME

L.C. KING

KRAUSE

KRUEL

KUBINA

LaPONUKE

W.B. LAWRENCE

LHIELE

LIPCZYNSKI

MATZEN

MATZ

T.E. McFARLAND

H.A. McGOWAN

MEADOWS, Jr.

C.C. MILLER

G.B. MILLER

MONDAY

R.L. MOORE

C.F. MURRAY

NAGEL

NERISON

NIELSEN

NIEMI

A.R. 0'NEAL

PERDUE (Capt.)

PASCHAL

PERKS

PIERCY

PINNELL

POLLOCK

POTHAST

RAVENSCRAFT

RESETAR

REZZA

J.M. RICE

D.T. RICHARDSON

B. ROGERS

G.S. ROTH

H.O. SARTEN

E.O. SCOTT

H.S. SMITH

SKELLY

SONNIER

H.G. STEVENSON

STONER

TIMMS

TREANOR

VLCEK

VALASK

VROBLE

WAHLBERG

H.F. WARD

L.V. WEBB

WELCOME

WIDDOWS

WINTER

J.G. YOUNG

ZINKGRAF

ZWIEG