[katana]

One the funniest comedians ever, Jonathan Winters, was in the USMC in WWII and after becoming ill was hospitalized for several months. He was then assigned to duty aboard a vessel as a Marine guard. He later ran into a buddy from basic training and learned that everybody else that fellow knew of from Winters’ original platoon had died on Saipan. There but for the Grace of G*d ...

[Charles Martel]

One the funniest comedians ever, Jonathan Winters, was in the USMC in WWII and after becoming ill was hospitalized for several months. He was then assigned to duty aboard a vessel as a Marine guard. He later ran into a buddy from basic training and learned that everybody else that fellow knew of from Winters’ original platoon had died on Saipan. There but for the Grace of G*d ...

Several actors had connections to Saipan. Lee Marvin was wounded in combat on that island. Eddie Albert operated an LVT that evacuated some of the wounded.

[hawkboy]

Winters wrote and recited a wonderful poem in tribute to the fallen Marines in his platoon. It’s called “The Ghost Brigade”. You can find it on iTunes and Amazon.

For these shores our hearts have yearned
At last, today we have returned
Our ship is firmly moored
You hear no sound of joyous shouts
No roaring cheers from lusty throats
Deep silence reigns aboard

With hearts and hopes and youth aglow
We left these shores to meet the foe
And with our all, we paid

To you that flaming torch we yield
To hold aloft
From tempests shielded
Let not that beacon fade!

To keep it lit
That flaming brand
For that we fell
On foreign strand

We missed the big parade

Our trip is done
Our task fulfilled
Our Victory won
Our voices, stilled

We are the Ghost Brigade

-Jonathan Winters

[dfwgator]

He later ran into a buddy from basic training and learned that everybody else that fellow knew of from Winters’ original platoon had died on Saipan.

I wonder if that was a factor in his later nervous breakdown?