War Paint ! A Pictorial History of the 4th Marine Division at War in the Pacific. Volume II: Saipan

By Theo Servetas

War Paint: A Pictorial History of the 4th Marine Division At War in the Pacific - Volume II - Saipan.

This is Volume Two of a four volume series, which continues the odyssey of the 4th Marine Division where it left off in Volume I - The Marshall Islands. Volume Two will cover the invasion of the Mariana Islands at Saipan; Volume Three will finish the Marianas with the Invasion of Tinian; and, Volume Four ends the war, but not before the invasion of Iwo Jima in 1945. All four volumes present over 850 photographs and more than 250 artworks. These intended for a mature audience. Viewing by children is not recommended.

During the Winter of 1942, New York City based modern artist, Theo Hios, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Soon thereafter, he found his way to other artists and the Marine Corps art program. Thus, a fully documented art movement within the ranks of the 4th Marine Division during the war in the Pacific is re-discovered.

This series will cover virtually every phase of the 4th Marine Division's history during WWII - from inception to the end of the War in the Pacific. If you are a history buff or art historian, then this series is for you.
Download:

• Language: English
• Publisher: Theo Servetas
• Release date: Jul 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311996794

Theo Servetas

Military history is what I research and write about. Majored in History with a BA at The City College. Former exchange student of Chinese language at Zhongshan University in Canton, China. Earned a Masters of Science at SUNY Maritime, and wrote extensively about China's Special Economic Zones. Former shipping and transportation logistics professional worked the China - Far East Trade. Assisted starting up a freight forwarding company, a container chassis leasing firm, and later I was the Owner's Operator that initiated a bulk cargo tramp steamship company. Also worked at the World Trade Center ground zero during the post 9/11 recovery for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, and, Disaster Assistance Employee with FEMA. Much of my published work was researched at several archives, including NARA, The National Museum of the Marine Corps, The Marine Corps University, Smithsonian, Brown University and Veterans from the 4th Marine Division Association. Business and general inquiries emailed to: [e-mail]

Book preview

Chapter One

Camp Maui Spring 1944

The 4th Marine Division at Camp Maui:

It took about ten days for the S.S. Typhoon, a U.S. flag civilian crewed merchant marine troop ship, to sail from the Marshalls to Maui Island, Territory of Hawaii. The 20th Marines (Engineer) arrived 25th of February, 1944.¹ The 4th Division’s new home, Camp Maui, was situated between the Dole pineapple plantation and a cattle ranch in the foot hills of the dormant volcano Mt. Haleakala. During the months of March and April the 4th Division was busy getting their new tent camp established.²

The Chevron reported the arrival of many MCB old timers at Camp Maui. One of them, Sgt. John Fabion, it was reported, had his own art tent to paint and sketch 4th Division subjects. The Chevron also acknowledged John Fabion for contributing many of the first action photographs taken at Roi-Namur.³

Sgt. Theo Hios made watercolors and photographs of the Hawaiian landscape. Joe Bruni recalled seeing Hios moving about with a sketch pad and pen, whilst looking hard at everything for subjects to draw. Joe Bruni also noted that his tent-mate, Stan Lacey, was finishing the details on some watercolors from the Marshall Islands. Stan did not have the luxury of a fully stocked art studio, rather he worked in a tent with no electricity. Lacey used a footlocker to store his art supplies. When opened, the footlocker’s inner lid surface served as his easel.⁴

Meanwhile, Capt. William McCahill had a thorny public relations problem: How best to handle the death of Capt. James L. Denig, the Son of Brigadier General Robert L. Denig?

SERVETAS-CH4-IMAGE-PH-0031

Brigadier General Robert L. Denig arrived at Roi Airfield, Marshall Islands, May 29, 1944. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/NARA)

General Denig headed the Marine Corps Public Relations Office at Headquarters, Washington, D.C. He initiated the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Program, and, encouraged Marine Corps artists to submit work for publication in Marines at War and Art in the Armed Forces.

SERVETAS-CH4-IMAGE-PH-0032

Brigadier General Robert L. Denig at his Son’s grave, Capt. James L. Denig. James Denig and his tank driver were killed in action on Namur Island, February 2, 1944. U.S. Marine Corps Cemetary. Roi-Namur, Marshall Islands. May 29, 1944. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/NARA)

William McCahill concerning the Death of Capt. James L. Denig:

Capt. James L. Denig was killed in action on Namur Island, February 2, 1944. Capt. William McCahill wrote this letter of condolence to General Denig:

PUBLIC RELATIONS

HQ, 4th MARINE DIVISION

IN THE FIELD

15 February 1944

My dear General Denig:

It is with a great feeling of sorrow and of hesitation that I write you regarding Jimmy’s death. I would have written sooner but wanted to gather together all the facts before I did write you. We know from the radio that you and Mrs. Denig have been informed of your loss. I also feel that various of our ranking officers must have written you now.

I can only tell you what I know. The poor words of a writer are always inadequate in an occasion like this so I will content myself with saying that Jimmy died like a true Marine facing the enemy in the very forefront of our advanced lines. His tank was leading the way into the last stronghold of the enemy. He was temporarily separated from his companion tank in the dense thickets on the far North edge of the island. Six Japs jumped out of the brush, climbing around and onto the tank. One of them dropped a grenade through the signal port. The generally accepted explanation of what happened next is that the grenade somehow ignited the flame thrower in the light tank, enveloping the tank in flames.

Three of the men got out of the tank, Jimmy, Corporal William D. Taylor and (P.F.C. Sylvester Lasnetske died in the tank) Corporal Dan T. Smith. Jimmy died of shrapnel wounds and burns about 15 minutes later in the arms of Corporal Taylor. In the words of one of the infantrymen who knocked out the six Japs, the tanks did a hell of a job.

Jim had come ashore with the reserves on D+1 two hours after the initial assault. The big push was ordered at 1630 that day and Jim’s tank took the right flank of the assault with two men from his outfit driving their tanks behind the commander’s tank.

He was buried with our other heroic dead in the little cemetery on the sand spit between the two islands. Both Catholic and Protestant services were read that day in the presence of our staff and officers and men from the various units. Almost all the tankers were present. After Taps and the triple volley were fired the services were terminated and little groups of men gathered to kneel or stand at the graves of their friends. I do believe that there were more people at Jim’s grave that afternoon than any other. I myself knelt down after most of the crowd had cleared and said my few poor prayers. We had a picture of the grave which will be sent as soon as developed.

Expressing my deepest sympathy to yourself and Mrs. Denig I am

Respectfully,

William. Mc Cahill

Capt., USMCR, PRO⁵

(Provided Courtesy of the Gray Research Center)

SERVETAS-CH4-ART-0001

The Toughest Part, by Marine Corps combat artist John Fabion

Watercolor, 14 x 10. (Art Collection, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, Va.)

This is the cemetery at Roi-Namur where Capt. James Denig was buried.

The Sun-Setter, the 4th Marine Division newspaper published at Camp Maui:

William McCahill, PRO of the 4th Marine Division, initiated the Sun-Setter in March of 1944. This was the 4th Divisions own newspaper, a four page weekly printed on a single sheet of newsprint published every Friday at Camp Maui. ⁶  The newspaper’s masthead listed Maj. General Harry Schmidt as honorary editor, Capt. William P. McCahill as editorial director, Sgt. Charles Vandergrift as editor, and S/Sgt. Frank Acosta, Jr. as sports editor. The Sun-Setter was the mouthpiece of the enlisted man, as reported in The Chevron,⁷ Veteran New York Daily News Sports Editor, Bill Gallo, told me that The Sun-Setter was printed on the same press by a long established Maui newspaper - The Honolulu Advertiser. The young Marine, Corporal Bill Gallo, probably got his first crack at writing his sports column with the Sun-Setter under the guidance of Frank Acosta.⁸ Before the war, Bill Gallo was only a copy boy at The N.Y. Daily News. Even though returned to his former employer immediately after the war, Bill Gallo did not start writing for The N.Y. Daily News until the early 1960’s.

The Gray Research Center, Marine Corps University at Quantico has just a few original copies of the Sun-Setter newspaper. The Friday March 10, 1944 edition of the Sun-Setter, featured Bob Cookes article:

Scuttlebutt Runs Rampant on Captured Island:

After every battle a new crop of stories springs up, some true, some rumored, some old but given a new setting.

The Marine landing at Roi Airfield, Kwajalein, had its share of scuttlebutt tales: the Jap woman dressed as a soldier found dead in a shell hole clutching a sniper’s rifle. The Japanese major doubled over his hari-kiri sword – when a U.S. Navy corpsman tried to remove it, he was severely wounded. Before using it the Jap had wired his Samurai sword to a concealed grenade as a booby trap.

There was the story about the young Marine, charged by a crazed Jap, whose M-1 rifle would not fire. The Leatherneck pitched his 9-pound weapon, bayonet-fixed, like a javelin at the oncoming Jap, stopped him dead at fifteen paces.

Another Jap tried to trap a Marine rifleman crawling by asking in perfect English, Whom are you looking for, Mac? That silly question cost the Jap his life: the Marine turned and fired without pausing. He knew all Marines on Roi were looking for just one thing: more Japs.

Carrier pigeons were reported on nearby Namur Island. With typical Marine humor, the boys tied messages on the birds, reading, Tojo soon eat dirt, and released them to carry the word to Truk and Tokyo.

Finally, and guaranteed true, is the dilemma of the wounded Marine who had just captured a brand-new Japanese rifle. Amid flying sniper bullets he stood and argued with the four Navy stretcher-bearers sent to carry him back to the field station.

The Marine won his point. The bearers carried the precious rifle back to the station on their stretcher. The Marine walked.⁹

(Provided Courtesy of the Gray Research Center)

John Fabion’s promotion reported in the Sun-Setter, Friday, March 10, 1944:

Artist Photographer Gets a Boost in Pay

John Fabion, widely known Chicago artist, has been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.

Sergeant Fabion served as a combination artist-photographer during the recent conquest of Roi and Namur Islands, Kwajalein atoll. He made several trips to the front with his dual capacity, returning with excellent sketches and news photos.

One of the artist’s last commercial jobs before entering the Marine Corps a year ago was modernistic art work for Washington D.C.’s new Statler hotel. After completing recruit training, Sergeant Fabion was assigned to the San Diego Marine Base public relations office, and entered the Pacific theatre with the Fourth Division."¹⁰

(Provided Courtesy of the Gray Research Center)

SERVETAS-CH4-IMAGE-PH-0001

The crater at Mount Haleakala. Maui. Maui Island. Territory of Hawaii, 1944. Photograph by Sgt. Theo Hios, H&S Co., 20th Marines (Engineer), 4th Mar. Div. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo)

Living Conditions at Camp Maui:

The Fourth Marine Division in World War II, (also known as the Green Book), edited by Carl W. Proehl, summarized the Camp Maui experience:

It rained! How it rained! There are many legends concerning the way in which the Fourth Marine Division got Camp Maui as a rest camp. Some say it was originally intended for the Army but they would have none of it – which made it just the thing for Marines. Others say it was a deliberate conspiracy on the part of the High Command who wanted to simulate combat conditions. Whatever the truth, everyone agreed that originally, the term rest camp was a misnomer. This much there was agreement about: Camp Maui sprawled 1,500 feet above sea level on the side of the world’s largest extinct volcano, Haleakala, whose broad rim soared nearly 10,000 feet into the sky. To the old Hawaiian natives, Haleakala personified the majestic power of a higher being and it was into the crater that the legendary Madame Pele, as an act of appeasement, threw roast pig, silk handkerchiefs, and jewelry.

But to the Marines, Haleakala was simply the cause of a meteorological freak. Rain clouds, passing over its crest, descended to warmer levels and dumped their moisture. Hospitable islanders pointed out that we had arrived during the rainy season. One story is that a Marine’s shoes came off in a ditch one night and he did not miss them for three days. He had been unlacing the mud at night and putting it back on again in the mornings.¹¹

SERVETAS-CH4-ART-0003

A Street in Tent Town, by Marine Corps combat artist John Fabion

Drawing, 12 x 18. (Art Collection, National Museum of the Marine Corps at Triangle, Va.)

SERVETAS-CH4-IMAGE-PH-0004

Camp Maui tent town at dawn. Photograph by Sgt. Theo Hios, H&S Co., 20th Marines (Engineer), 4th Mar. Div. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo/NARA)

SERVETAS-CH4-IMAGE-PH-0005