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War—Coping With the AftermathAwake!—1989 | October 8
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Bob Honis was among the tens of thousands of U.S. Marines who fought in the second world war in the battle of Iwo Jima in the western Pacific. His story is printed not to shock but to show that it is possible for some to recover from even the most traumatic experiences.
The Trauma
“We began our approach to Iwo Jima at 8:30 a.m. on February 19, 1945. The big guns of the battleship Tennessee fell silent behind us, and then our landing craft were rocked by bombardments from the enemy shore batteries. Emotions at fever pitch, keyed up for the action ahead, I shouted amid all the noise and din, ‘Save some for us!’ as we followed the first assault troops in.
“Once on the beach, all I could smell was the sickening odor of gunpowder, volcanic ash, and burning equipment. Our landing craft was hit. The driver was killed instantly, and all our equipment was destroyed.
“I will never forget the sight of other dead marines. One was facedown in the sand. His combat boots, without bottoms, were fully laced up to his knees, on stumps that were once young, sturdy legs. Looking to my right as I crouched in a hastily dug foxhole, I saw another marine leaning forward with his rifle clutched to his chest, headless to the shoulders. The beach became littered with dead marines, many mutilated beyond description. This was just the beginning.
“On day two I was sent to check out one of our positions. What a grisly sight confronted me! An exploding shell had blown the legs and arms off the first marine I saw. His helmet and chin strap were still in position. His eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead as though he were in deep meditation. Strewed around like broken stuffed toys, the other members of the gun crew were nothing but pieces of torn flesh scattered in the soft, black volcanic ash.
“The slaughter continued throughout day three. Then the dead began to decompose rapidly. The stench became overpowering. It was everywhere. There was no escaping it.
“After four days of fierce fighting, on February 23 there was the now famous raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi. Instead of elation, all I felt was despair. The dead were everywhere. Life seemed so cheap. The savage battle continued until March 26, when finally Iwo Jima was taken, after weeks of ceaseless slaughter. What a bloodbath—a total of 26,000 Americans and Japanese killed on an island only eight square miles [20 sq km] in size!
The Aftermath
“It should have been a time of great happiness when I was discharged from the Marines and reunited with my family. Instead, however, what had been building up inside me now surfaced—a dreadful emptiness and sense of futility.
“Questions kept tormenting me. If life is so cheap, what is the point of living? Can there really be a caring God? Will I be haunted by my experiences for the rest of my life? Even after I married my wife, Mary, the torment continued. I could see no prospect of a lasting, happy future, only war and more senseless slaughter till, finally, the destruction of the earth and all life on it.
Finding the Solution
“Shortly after we married, my wife and I were visited by two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This gave me a chance to ask some searching questions about war, suffering, and the purpose of life. The answers to my questions came quickly from the Bible.
“Yes, there is a loving God who cares and who will soon remedy all our pain and sorrow. (Psalm 83:18; Revelation 21:1-4) No, God does not sanction wars in pursuit of human political goals. (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 2:4; John 18:36) No, the earth will not be destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. It will remain forever, as a paradise home for all who meet God’s requirements.—Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 45:18; Revelation 11:17, 18.
“As my study of the heartwarming promises in the Bible continued, the void within me was gradually filled. I grew confident that God’s Kingdom is the only realistic means for bringing peace and security to the earth. God’s war of Armageddon will finally rid the earth of all evil.—Daniel 2:21, 22; Matthew 6:10; Revelation 16:14-16.”
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War—Coping With the AftermathAwake!—1989 | October 8
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[Pictures on page 7]
On the way to Iwo Jima, we studied models of the island
Honis appears at top right
[Credit Line]
U.S. Marine Corps
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