90 Day Wonder

A summing up & a new direction

I feel pretty good, but am far from feeling smug about it...My efforts and those of others helping me have finally resulted in Congress getting off its ass in directing the Pentagon to repatriate the remains of the hundreds of guys who still lie in Tarawa sixty-six years later, after the battle of "Bloody Tarawa," during November, 1943. (That doesn't mean, of course, that the military will actually do it.).

I'm in the process of setting up a non-profit corporation that will receive charitable contributions--for tax credit--to finance my filmed visit to a number of Pacific War battlefields, e,g., Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Okinawa, Palau and other sites. The purpose: to show compelling evidence that the remains of the fallen are still there, e.g., the tail assembly of the downed plane, the dogtags or other evidence of the remains of the MIA, what natives in the area concerned can tell us about the dead American, etc. Five films in all will be produced at a cost of 1 million, a significant part of which to defray the cost of private jet flights to many of the battle sites, sites that simply can't be reached by comercial flights.

Readers of my blogs will recall that almost 80,000 WWII MIAs from WWII are still "there," where they fell in battles in Europe and in the Pacific. The Pentagon admits that upwards of 35,000 are "recoverable." That doesn't mean that the Military will make an effort to recover these guys. In fact,  I've just learned that 3,000 WWII MIAs have been recently identified, including the exact location of their remains, along with other information that will permit their speedy repatriation, but this will not be done because there ain't any money to pay for the effort.,

What the hell...Nearly all of the Viet Nam MIAs have been recovered and repatriated--thanks to the nation-wide campaign during the 70's to recover them--"You Are Not Forgotten"--Remember?

Unlike Viet Nam and Iraq, too, for that matter--and similarly unpopular and unnecessary wars, it''s generally ackmnowledged that WWII was a "necessary" and even a "popular" in the sense that virtually the entire nation was involved. The anomaly remains: in dumb wars, we recover the dead. In good wars--the hell with the "Greatest Generation."

Persistence

"Great works are performed not by strength but by persistence," is a statement by Samuel Johnson that has guided me in my efforts to return home the dead of WWII, thousands of whom still lie where they fell.

For example...

Some members of Congress recently viewed my documentary, "Return to Tarawa-the Leon Cooper Story," As a result, this past month the House of Representatives passed a Resolution declaring it to be the "Sense of Congress" that the Department of Defense should send a team of investigators to Tarawa to search for the remains of those who still lie there and then begin their repatriation. The Resolution was sent to the President and to officials of his Administration.

This past month the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors sent a Resolution to the President urging similar action, incidentally, honoring me for my military service and also for my activities since then.

Currently pending before a House of Representatives appropriations committee is language awaiting a $ amount-- to be filled in later--calling for the investigation, discovery and repatriation of WWII MIAs.

The garbage on Red Beach in Tarawa may be cleaned up later this year as plans are underway to install the "state-of-the-art" incinerator I had recommended in my "Action Program for Tarawa." When installed, this incinerator system it would prevent garbage on the beaches and elsewhere from being swept out to sea, destroying marine life. Ironically, the incinerator program and other action I had recommended is being funded by New Zealand, not by our country.

I'm continuing to publicize my efforts: The Army Times and all other Service newspapers are carrying a feature story about my efforts. In other words, more 500,000 newspapers in 100 countries are featuring the story.

The Tokyo Journal has an article about me..."World War II combat veteran is fighting a different battle."

The Washington Merry-Go-Round

Have just returned from a week- long visit to Washington, having met with the Chiefs of Staff of three Senators and two Representatives--my purpose to gain commitments from them, on behalf of their bosses, to:

Repatriate the remains of the dead Americans who still lie in Tarawa,in unmarked graves, sixty-five years after they were killed in the battle-139 and counting;

Remove the live ammo, ours, scattered everywhere on the tiny, densely populated island of Betio, where the principle fighting took place;

Remove the garbage--tons and tons of it--that desecrates the hallowed ground, Red Beach, where so many Americans were killed or wounded by Japanese gunfire.

Promises. Promises. Promises.

I've heard this before. It's only with exposure of the now completed documentary, "Return to Tarawa-The Leon Cooper Story" plus media coverage that will result in the needed action, as above...I had three TV interviews while there,  giving me more opportunity to spread the word.

Veterans Day

Two important dates coming up--Veterans Day, November 11, and November 20, the 64th anniversary of the Battle for Tarawa.

Comes November 11, with the usual lipservice about "honoring our veterans"--beginning to ring hollow even more considering the shabby treatment given the wounded coming back from Iraq/Afghan...and also the veterans of the Battle for Tarawa--where readers of my blog will note the many letters, faxes, emails I've sent to the "usual suspects" in Washington, still without even acknowledgements from most.

Ken Burns' great documentary about WWII would seem to stir up some interest, but still no response from Washington, despite my recent efforts to get something going about the garbage on Red Beach, higher than ever.

Recently, I've tried to get the attention of news commentators--also the morning shows. So far, nada. Maybe readers here can lend a hand.

I'm still planning on a trip, my "Return to Tarawa," if I can keep the demons in my mind at bay when i return to that hellhole.

Visit here to get the latest.

December 7

Where were you -- what were you doing on the day JFK was assasinated? What about 9/11?

But for me -- December 7, 1941 was not a "Day That Will Live in Infamy" -- I was mildly irritated that the news flash came over the radio while I was listening to the NY Philharmonic playing the overture to Wagner's "Parsifal." First, my Mother came into the living room with a worried look, "Had I heard?" Then, the phone call from my big brother giving me all kinds of advice, namely, don't do anything crazy like going out to enlist. All these damn interruptions before I could pick up again reading my novel while listening to Wagner.

Which reminds me -- still no word from my US Senators about "Garbage Tarawa." And I'm trying to get the attention of USMC General (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) about the crap on Red Beach -- but no response from him either.

Outrage

We are nearing the 62nd anniversary of the 2nd US Marine Division assault on Tarawa, a steamy atoll lying on the equator. In three days of violence, starting on November 21, 1943, the Marines suffered 3400 casualties. There were 146 survivors among the 4600 Japanese defenders.

A photograph taken by an AP photographer on 05/14/2004 shows garbage piled high on Red Beach where, as AP reported, "US Marines died by the hundreds, the broken bottles, crushed boxes and plastic bags are now piling up by the millions."

I"m Leon Cooper, a veteran of the "Bloody Tarawa" battle, having served as a Navy landing craft officer, taking Marines of the 2nd Division into Red Beach.  Even now, after all these years, I feel a deep sense of outrage that our country should have allowed this to happen.(I tell about the Tarawa landings in my book, "90 Day Wonder-Darkness Remembered." www.90daywonder.net)

"Bloody Tarawa" got its name from the many photographs taken during and after the battle, which received widespread distribution at home.  Never had the American public seen such pictures. This was truly war "personal and up close." Here was pictured a group of dead Marines sprawled across the seawall. Another photo showed several Marines lying face down in the water lapping the beach shelf. Yet another of a dead Marine crouching behind a palm tree stump. More photographs of unrelieved horror -- on and on.

Tarawa is part of the nation of Kiribati.  With its limited resources, Kiribati can hardly be held at fault -- if not Red Beach, where? "Civilization" has come to Tarawa.  Before WWII the native population subsisted on biodegradable food, like breadfruit, coconuts and mangos. Now the native diet includes coke and other canned products and other foods wrapped in plastic.The Kiribati government has reported that "40,000 people live in South Tarawa and generate 6500 tons of waste annually." While the government recently started a waste management program this bootstrap effort is simply unable to deal with the heaps of waste created by an ever increasing population.

Who's responsible for this disgrace? There's plenty of blame to go around. "Garbage Tarawa" has been happening on both watches -- Democrats and Republicans, including their respective Secretaries of Defense.  And nobody in a position of responsibility has done anything about it, indeed, if any high official during all these years has even bothered to look into the matter. 

The obvious solution: The US government should immediately remove the garbage from this hallowed ground in Tarawa, while making arrangements for an effective garbage disposal system for Kiribati. After that's been done there should be a simple ceremony on Red Beach honoring all who fought here. No ruffles and flourishes, please

Our government should do this while there is yet time. Tarawa has begun to sink under the ocean. The curse of the industrial world, global warming, is causing the seas around Tarawa to rise ever higher on Red Beach. Kiribati's natives will ultimately depart Tarawa, leaving behind WWII detritus and the ghosts of those who died in a battle that never should have been fought. Tarawa in time will become the New Atlantis.

Among others, I've appealed to my two Senators and Congressman -- all Democrats. A similar appeal has been made to the White House and to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Readers ... Tell your Congress person and Senators -- also your local newspapers. With any significant public attention to "Garbage Tarawa," our government will be forced to take action . Your comments are welcome, of course.