World War II Gyrene Photo Album, page 39 Pfc Edward J. Bernoskey Co B, 1st Bn, 3rd Marines

Among the many young Americans who answered duty's call in World War II was Edward J. Bernoskey, who enlisted in the Marine Corps on 14 September 1942 at age 18. Originally from Woodbridge, Connecticut, Ed was living in Casper, Wyoming prior to his enlistment.

Pfc Bernoskey was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division. he participated in the campaign for Guam. He was wounded by a fragment in the right elbow on 4 August 1944.

The island of Guam was a major part of the Mariana Islands Group, and its' capture was important to for establishment of strategic air bases for the B-29 heavy bombers of the Army Air Force. The assault of Guam began on 21 July 1944, and was designated W-Day, with H-Hour set for 0830. 1st Battalion, Third Marines was assigned to Beach Red 2 fronting the dominating heights of Bundshu Ridge. Guam's Japanese defenders had also fortified Adelup Point, a dominating spur thrust out to the southeast of the Red beaches.

The official history described the scene on the Third Marines' beachhead that morning:

"The immediate situation on the Red Beaches was not favorable. Minutes after the leading waves of the Third Marines were ashore, the Japanese opened up in earnest, turning artillery, mortars, and machine guns upon the beaches and the reef, lobbing well-directed mortar shells squarely among the LVTs. Some of the Marines were casualties before getting on land; others were hit when they were barely on the beaches by an enemy enjoying perfect observation."

By 4 August 1944 when Pfc Bernoskey was wounded, the Third Marine Division had already seen a great deal of heavy fighting against extremely tough opposition. The division continued driving forward each day toward Guam's northern shore. The official history noted the situation for the day that Bernosky was hit:

"Elsewhere in the [Third] Division zone on 4 August, the [Third] Marines was able to secure its portion of the day's objective with little trouble. The 2nd Battalion stood fast in its position near the coast, and the 1st Battalion moved along the road through Dededo to seize a fork where the branches continued north in two trails about a mile apart. Both units sent strong patrols forward of their pines to range ahead in the jungle as far as 1,000-1,200 yards."

Map of the area on Guam where Pfc Bernoskey was wounded on 4Aug44. US Marine Corps map

LtCol Newton B. Barkley, Executive Officer of the Third Marines, presents the Purple Heart to Pfc Bernoskey following the campaign for Guam.

The Third Marine Division remained on Guam after the island was secured. The next campaign was the assault and capture of Iwo Jima, located about 700 miles south of Japan As one of primary assault elements, the Third Marine Division served in the thick of some of the deadliest fighting in US history. Fortunately, the Third Marines received a reprieve from the sacrifice. As the Corps reserve regiment, they remained aboard their transports for the entire operation and did not take part in the combat ashore.

Once the conquest of Iwo Jima was accomplished, the Third Marine Division returned to Guam, where it took up camp life in preparation for the assault on the Japanese home islands. Throughout this time, divisional units ran combat patrols in the rugged country of Guam's interior. Training was rugged, intense, and realistic. It was the old story for combat Marines in the Fleet Marine Force: long-distance hikes, marksmanship, field problems, chemical defense, a thousand lessons learned the hard way in battle, and then reinforced again and again.

Leathernecks of Pfc Bernoskey's unit in their tent camp on Guam. This photo captures the harsh conditions that Marines lived under during the war. Even when they weren't in combat, there were few comforts to be found in the Pacific. Note: If you recognize these Marines, please contact the webmaster.

In July 1945, each battalion underwent a final live-fire exercise under combat conditions. With full air and artillery support, the battalion was to advance 5,000 in 90 minutes under cover of all supporting arms, smashing through two simulated enemy defensive lines. Under the watchful eyes of divisional commander MajGen Graves Erskine, these drills were the pinnacle of training before the coming invasion.

But then the unthinkable happened, and the war came to an abrupt end. The Third Marine Divisional history captured the swiftly developing events:

"On the morning of August 10 [1945], the division was completing the last of its "graduation" exercises for the battalion landing teams, and preparations were under way for a Division exercise that was to be a rehearsal of the real landing to come.

Then... "Did you hear the news on the radio? We dropped a new kind of bomb on the Nips... some place called Hiroshima!... Twenty thousand times as powerful as TNT... Wrecked the whole city!""

Infantrymen of the Third Marine Division training in bayonet tactics under the watchful eye of their NCO in the summer of 1945. This picture is representative of life in the Fleet Marine Force during the war. Life Magazine

In October 1945, 1st Battalion, Third Marines, deployed to the island of Chichi Jima in the Bonins Groups. Their mission was to take control of the Japanese garrison and destroy the extensive Japanese fortifications on the island. The battalion remained on ChiChi Jima as an occupation force until its assignment was completed on 1 June 1946. On that date, the battalion was deactivated and its remaining Marines and sailors were either reassigned to other units, or sent home for discharge.

After the war, Ed returned home to the United States and went to work as a logger in Idaho. He got married in 1947 and moved to North Bend, Ore., where he owned the Village Florist and Umpqua Oaks Nursery. He and his wife raised four daughters, and had many grand- and great-grandchildren. Ed passed away in February 2008 of age-related causes.

I heard from Ed's daughter, Vicki Lovelace, of Pleasant Hill, Ore., in May 2010. She sent me an e-mail relating some of her dad's story. She wrote: "He would never talk about the war so I know little about his adventures. I am not sure he considered them adventures. He did say that he really never thought that he would die until his group was waiting on the [t]armac to ship out and invade Japan. Then he said he was sure that he would die. As they were waiting, the word came that the war was over and he never had to go."

Ed Bernoskey in 1990.

SOURCES:

Aurthur, Robert, et al. The Third Marine Division. Infantry Journal Press. 1948.
Lodge, O. R. The Recapture of Guam. Historical Branch, Headquarters, USMC. 1954.
Shaw, Henry, et al. History of US Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Volume III. Historical Branch, Headquarters, USMC. 1966.

Unless otherwise noted, photos are courtesy of Pfc Bernoskey's daughter, Vicki Lovelace.

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