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Don Crain, an unsung American marine, drove a first-wave amtrac into the eye of the Tarawa hurricane during World War II. After Pearl Harbor, the quota system was dropped, and Don enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned to B Battery, Special Weapons Platoon, 2nd Marine Division, and sent out to New Zealand in October 1942. In July 1943, the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered the 2nd Marine Division to seize Tarawa atoll. Lt. Col. David Shoup, the Operations Officer, proposed using the Marines' first-generation amphibious tractor to spearhead an amphibious assault. Don Crain played a crucial role in the Pacific War.
On November 13, 1943, the Virgo departed Efate and learned their target was Tarawa. The assault Marines were instructed to transport 20 Marines of the 2nd Regiment to land them on Red Beach 2. Tarawa's defenses were manned by elite Japanese Imperial Marines of the 7th Special Naval Landing Forces. The Marines, led by Don Crain, navigated through the lagoon passage, navigating through the longest ship-to-shore transit of any invasion in the Pacific War. The Japanese Marines, hidden in their bunkers and pillboxes, waited for the Americans to come into range. The Japanese Marines' actions were a stark reminder of the American's superiority in the Pacific War.
The American Marines, led by Don, were tasked with driving their human cargo to shore during the Japanese invasion of Tarawa. The American Marines, including Don, were tasked with a common duty: to get ashore quickly, defeat any surviving enemy, and secure the island. However, the Japanese placed too much confidence in Tarawa's reef, leading to the surprise of the Japanese. The American Marines, unaware of the shortcomings of their preinvasion bombardment, drove LVT 41 towards the cove separating Red Beaches 1 and 2, ignoring the point of resistance dubbed "the Pocket" by Marines. The Marines in the cargo hold were killed, and Don was one of only three survivors. The American Marines were left with no weapons and their lives were destroyed.
In World War II, the Marines' Tarawa LVT gamble was a tactical success, with only eight of the 42 first-wave LVTs knocked out before reaching the beach. Don Crain, a driver of a 20th-century amphibious assault innovation, saved two wounded Marines from drowning in a brutal 31/2-day brawl. The Marines paid dearly for the victory, with 1,027 killed and 2,292 wounded. Don's 2nd Amtrac Battalion suffered 50% casualties, and by battle's end, 90 out of its 123 amtracs employed had been knocked out. Don survived an explosion at Pearl Harbor among LSTs loading for Saipan, earned a Bronze Star at Saipan for action in his LVT-2, and made 14 shuttle runs on Tinian. The Marines' bloodiest across-the-reef landing of World War II was Tarawa.
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