BRECKENRIDGE, MN (KFGO) – The year is 1944, the US has been at war with Japan in the Pacific theater for around 2 years. And are currently planning Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-day.
Alwyn Martinson poses for his Navy photo in 1945
Meanwhile, in the small town of Everdell, Minnesota, 17-year-old Alwyn Martinson volunteers for the Navy.
“Well, my two older brothers were in the service. My dad had only a 160-acre farm. I had three younger brothers, so there was no chance of deferment, and I didn’t want to go into the Army. So I enlisted in the Navy, and dad was so proud of you, signed for me”, Martinson said.
Martinson reported to the USS Logan at Pearl Harbor in January of 1945 and deployed into the Pacific with the mission to Iwo Jima.
Alwyn was aboard the USS Logan Transport Ship (APA 196)
He describes what it was like at Iwo Jima, and what he went through during the assault and eventual victory.
Alwyn with his buddies Cecil & Gene aboard the USS Logan (Right to Left)
“There were three other guys in the boat and we were supposed to be leading the tanks in, and I had my radio in there, but on the way in, I guess they didn’t want us because they shot the antenna off my radio right by my ear. We unloaded all the supplies and then we started to leave and they dropped a shell right down between the four of us, so I called the ship, and I said, ‘You’ll have to wait for us, we’re taking on a lot of water’. Well, they were out to sea already and said, ‘We can’t wait for you’. So we circled for about 45 minutes, the Japs kept shooting but never hit us again. We didn’t have any place to go except up on the island. We snuck onto the island and crawled up to the front of the boat and went to sleep. You know, if the Japs came around, we thought they wouldn’t;t waste a bullet on us because we looked dead,” Martinson said.
Alwyn recited from the USS Logan’s ship’s log reliving when they saw that fateful United States flag flying on top of Mount Sirabachi.
US Flag raising at Iwo Jima (Credit: AP)
“This was in February of ’45. ‘On the 8-12 watch of February 23rd, we pulled into the transport area for night retirement. Japanese mortars still fell in the landing area. At 10:31 the word was passed, the Marines have raised the flag on Sirabachi. Someone shouted and said ‘Look on top of the volcano’. It was a thumbnail size, waving in the breeze,” he said. “Boy, that was something,” Alwyn smiled.
As soon as the US flag was raised on Iwo Jima, the Allies had the upper hand in the Pacific. With that, Japan became more desperate and risky with their offensive sending in more kamikaze planes. Alwyn remembers one that came directly at his ship.
“When we captured Iwo Jima, we were getting close enough that they started sending Kamikaze planes. He was an inexperienced pilot. He came in at an angle, and there were cables sticking up from the boat. He didn’t see the cables and his wing caught one. It spun him off course and he landed on the deck. The plane busted open and the bomb was sitting on the deck. The crew pushed the bomb off the deck followed by the pilot and the plane,” Martinson recalled.
Burial at sea was a normal occurrence every night on the USS Logan, and Alwyn remembers how haunting it was to this day.
“We would have them on a stretcher, covered with the American flag, so you couldn’t see them. We would do 4-6 a night usually. I always wondered why we would log the latitude and longitude. You’re never gonna find those bodies again. The sad part is, when you’re dumping that body, you’re thinking about those parents who are never gonna see that son of theirs again,” Alwyn solemnly said.
In 1945, the Pacific War entered its fourth year. Japanese military units fought fiercely, ensuring that the Allied victory would come at an enormous cost. Nearly one million of the 30 million casualties in the Pacific occurred during the last year of the war, from June 1944 to June 1945.
On July 26th, 1945 a Portland-class heavy cruiser named the USS Indianapolis sped toward the small allied-occupied island of Tinian. They carried something that would not only change the course of history, but the world.
USS Indianapolis (Credit: US Navy)
Alwyn remembers docking next to the USS Indianapolis after it had dropped off the atomic bomb codenamed “Little Boy”, that would be dropped on Hiroshima. He says they had no idea it was dropped until they got back to the States.
“The Indianapolis was tied up next to us in Guam before they went out and got sunk. We had a guy on our ship with a buddy on the Indianapolis. He went over to talk to him. And that guy told our guy that they had hauled a ‘big bomb’ over,” Martinson recalls. “We didn’t get news about what was going on. When we came back to the States we didn’t know the bomb had been dropped. It had been dropped for 5 or 6 days. We didn’t know it. We pulled into Frisco and we heard the news, the war was over,” Alwyn said.
Alwyn and his wife Marilyn Martinson (2009)
Alwyn would return to Minnesota in 1947, and start the rest of his life having lived an entire one already. A girl in a green dress caught his eye and he married her, having 5 beautiful children.
“We went to a dance, and someone told us guys to find someone to dance with. I saw this girl across the room in this green dress,” Alywn smiled. “I went over to ask her to dance, she was a great dancer. I told myself ‘I’m gonna marry that girl’. And I did! It was the best decision I ever made,” Alwyn smilingly added.
Seventy-eight years have passed since the conclusion of World War II, but the legacy of the brave men and women who served during those tumultuous times remains etched in history.
World War II veterans were more than just soldiers on the frontlines; they were the backbone of nations, the unsung heroes who bore the weight of the world on their shoulders. Their importance in shaping the course of history cannot be overstated, as they were at the forefront of defending freedom, democracy, and the values we hold dear.
Another year passes with many of these noble veterans passing into history, it becomes increasingly crucial to reflect on the significance of their contributions.
Alwyn is a living testament to the bravery of those who served in the Pacific during World War II. He may have faced darkness on the distant shores of the Pacific, but inspiring everyone around him with the power of hope and the strength of the human spirit.
