World Battle II Marine veteran Frank Wright, 97, is honored at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego throughout an October 2022 occasion, some 80 years after he enlisted and accomplished primary boot camp on the set up in 1942. (YouTube)
(Tribune News Service) — Lodi resident Frank Wright took a visit again in time final month when he returned to southern California to revisit the delivery of his navy profession.
Wright, 97, enlisted with america Marine Corps in 1942 on the age of 16 and accomplished primary boot camp on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego.
He fought in battles all through the Pacific Theater throughout World Battle, together with at Iwo Jima, the place he witnessed the elevating of the flag on Mount Suribachi, which has since been memorialized in Joe Rosenthal’s {photograph} that has change into synonymous with victory for American armed forces.
An authentic member of the Marine Corps’ Raiders particular forces unit, Wright was recalled to the depot on Oct. 13 to commemorate his service.
“My thoughts went again to January in 1942, seeing a number of the areas I had been,” Wright mentioned throughout an Oct. 17 press convention about his journey to San Diego.
“In fact, it has fully modified in that 80 years,” he mentioned. “I had an image made with the our (sleeping quarters) that I stayed in, they usually have them on show within the San Diego space.”
The Marine Raiders are a particular operations unit created in 1942 to conduct amphibious gentle infantry warfare. Nonetheless, most fight operations through the conflict noticed the Raiders used as typical infantry.
Wright was assigned to the 4th Raiders unit out of Camp Pendleton, led by Lt. Col. James Roosevelt, son of the president.
“I had the dignity of assist designing the fight course in San Diego with Col. James Roosevelt, and it introduced again recollections of what we had accomplished,” Wright mentioned. “We had been in standing committee at the moment, and I simply cant imagine its grown a lot within the 80 years that I’ve left.”
There have been a complete 4 Raiders items through the conflict, and all had been engaged in heavy fight within the higher Solomon Islands.
On 15 March 1943, the 4 battalions had been organized as the first Marine Raider Regiment at Espiritu Santo.
Two extra Raider items had been created in early 1944, however as a result of the anticipated want for commando-type items inside the Marines had not materialized, they had been deactivated on Feb. 1 of that 12 months.
The items had been renamed, with Wright’s 4th Raiders now referred to as the second battalion, 4th Marines.
A complete of 8.078 males, together with 7,710 Marines and 368 sailors had been assigned to the Raiders.
Throughout his service, Wright fought in 4 main battles, traveled between islands on 11 completely different Navy ships, was wounded within the abdomen by a bayonet whereas recapturing Guam, and was shot within the chest and arm by machine gun hearth on the island of Iwo Jima.
He spent the final six months of his enlistment as a Marine drill teacher coaching new recruits.
Wright was awarded the Purple Coronary heart with two stars, the Presidential Unit Quotation with two stars, Navy Unit Commendation, the American Marketing campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Marketing campaign with three service stars, the Fleet Marine Drive with 4 stars, the Marine Corps Expedition Medal. Fight Motion with 4 stars, the Victory medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
He’s believed to be one of many three final surviving members of the Raiders, and penned a memoir about his experiences in 2019 entitled “Battles within the Pacific.”
Born in Arkadelphia, Ark., Wright mentioned he enlisted when he realized the nation had been attacked on Dec. 7, 1941.
“I heard over the radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed,” he mentioned. “I didn’t know the place Pearl Harbor was on the time, however I knew that any individual bombed us. I went all the way down to the Put up Workplace to see the completely different commercials… the Navy and Marines… and that sort of stirred myself as much as be a kind of.”
Wright mentioned he in the end selected to enlist within the Marines as a result of the poster on the Put up Workplace showcased males of their “costume blues,” the apparel sometimes worn throughout formal occasions and engagements.
“They usually had been all trying sharp, they usually had been all on a ship (on the poster),” he mentioned.
Throughout his journey to San Diego, Wright met Normal David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and boarded the USS Anchorage.
He was additionally invited to attend the 2022 Boot Camp Commencement ceremony on Oct. 14, and given a tour of the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot Museum.
“It’s probably the most honored factor I’ve ever had in my life,” he mentioned. “It was acknowledged not just for me as a person, however for honoring the Raider battalion for the Marine Corps. I couldn’t imagine that I used to be so welcome to so many individuals, not solely me as a person, however (as a part of) the Raiders. However (the Raiders) are acknowledged very a lot.”
In 2006, the Raiders had been reactivated when the Marine Particular Operations Regiment was renamed the Marine Raider Regiment. It at the moment consists of 1,512 personnel.
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