iwo jima vets

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Danny and I met years ago in Irving, TX. He was a kind and gentle soul. Iwo Jima was his "only" campaign. His stories have taken my appreciation of that battle to another level. Danny is mentioned several times in the Best Selling Book, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS by James Bradley, which I believe is a must-read to begin to understand what our boys went through in the Pacific War. Danny is also in the new Spielberg documentary film, THE PIRCE OF PEACE. I believe Danny was 18 when he went in on the second wave of the invasion. Danny saw his best friend Chic get it on the beach when leaving the landing craft and it all went downhill from there. He spent the entire campaign tending to the wounded Marines. That means exposing yourself to fire as anywhere there are wounded is where the enemy can fire. My guess is that many men died in his arms. God was with him as he was one of the only Corpsmen not to be killed or wounded. 

James Max Smythe was born July 11, 1925, in Camden, Tennessee. He was the only son. He had two sisters. His father was a medical doctor and served as a Captain in WWI. James's father died in 1940 and left his mother to raise the three children.  James joined the Marines while only 17 years old. He had to lie about his age to get in. He went through basic training at Paris Island and then to Camp Pendleton before leaving for the Pacific. While fighting on Iwo Jima, he was in a foxhole with two buddies. A Japanese threw a hand grenade into the foxhole and it exploded. His two buddies were killed and James sustained multiple injuries. His jaw for one thing was almost completely removed from his face. He was returned to Bethesda Maryland where his jaw was reattached and he went through many operations in an attempt to restore his lips and face. The surgeries were not very successful and his face remained highly disfigured. For the remainder of his life, he was very self-conscious about his appearance, especially around children. He married the nurse that took care of him in Maryland. He and his wife became alcoholics and they both died from cirrhosis of the liver and other complications. They had no children. His employment was erratic, he never held a job for any length of time. He and his wife survived off of his pension and his wife worked full time until her death. To his dying day, he stood up for the Marines and was always proud to have been one and to have served his country. James was in the 5th Marine Division. I never had the pleasure to meet James. The above information was provided by his nephew Chester, who wishes that James's sacrifice be recognized and not forgotten.