Guy Stratton reminisces about the weeks he spent on Iwo Jima in 1945. The bloody battle on the Pacific island left him with shrapnel wounds on his right knee and wrist and a lot of unforgettable memories.
Veteran Guy Stratton said "You smell that old sickening sulfur smell of gunpowder, you see guys get shot right by you, and you were just trying to survive yourself".
While the survivors of the World War Two invasion focus on the war of the past, they also talk about a war that could break out any day now with Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein. Some veterans compare him to Adolph Hitler.
Stratton said "We got a man now that he's determined to keep his mass destructive weapons and stuff, and maybe it's better to get rid of it now than let him continue to build".
Veteran John Sbordone said "The United States has never been known to cause war, we're only trying to prevent actually something that's going to happen down the line. Saddam Hussein is just dragging his feet. I can't see how we can stay out of it. How they can not do something about it really"?
Many veterans are confident it's a war America will win. Sbordone said "This is a whole new ball game, all new weapons, a whole new strategy. Can you imagine what a time we would have had with night goggles when the Japanese every night was trying to get us and cut our throats"?
The veterans know all too well the casualties of war, and they have some advice for troops bracing for possible conflict. Sbordone said "If you don't have any religion, get it quick, and pray to the good Lord for protection. And do your thing, because I know I love America as the next person, and I would go through it again if I had to".
More than 6,000 soldiers were killed in the Battle of Iwo Jima. The veterans reunion, going on at the Broadwater Towers in Biloxi, ends on Sunday.
By: Trang Pham-Bui
George Regional Hospital in Lucedale made history after delivery its first set of triplets.
More >>George Regional Hospital in Lucedale made history after delivery its first set of triplets.
More >>Tonight, the fire is mostly out. But earlier Wednesday, Deer Island was taken over by a raging inferno, though this fire was set on purpose by the Department of Marine Resources (DMR).
...
More >>Tonight, the fire is mostly out. But earlier Wednesday, Deer Island was taken over by a raging inferno, though this fire was set on purpose by the Department of Marine Resources (DMR).
...
More >>On April 25, 20-year-old Devin Gregory of Gulfport plead guilty to second degree murder in the Harrison County Courthouse.
More >>On April 25, 20-year-old Devin Gregory of Gulfport plead guilty to second degree murder in the Harrison County Courthouse.
More >>After 13-year-old Ashton Cole was found dead in an apartment complex swimming pool, Allen Hyundai and Bayou View Middle School are teaming up to host a BBQ fundraiser to cover the cost of Ashton’s funeral.
More >>After 13-year-old Ashton Cole was found dead in an apartment complex swimming pool, Allen Hyundai and Bayou View Middle School are teaming up to host a BBQ fundraiser to cover the cost of Ashton’s funeral.
More >>We're learning more about a physical altercation between Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt and an on-duty fire department personnel.
More >>We're learning more about a physical altercation between Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt and an on-duty fire department personnel.
More >>The 72-year-old suspect has been identified as a former police officer and "nice guy."
More >>The 72-year-old suspect has been identified as a former police officer and "nice guy."
More >>Among the items leaving for the month are hit movies like "Disney's The Jungle Book," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby."
More >>Among the items leaving for the month are hit movies like "Disney's The Jungle Book," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby."
More >>Forrest Hunter wanted to buy a hunting license and was tired of waiting for help.
More >>Forrest Hunter wanted to buy a hunting license and was tired of waiting for help.
More >>A woman with multiple sclerosis said Delta employees tied her to a chair with a blanket when they didn't have one with straps.
More >>A woman with multiple sclerosis said Delta employees tied her to a chair with a blanket when they didn't have one with straps.
More >>OJ, a blind dog adopted alongside his guide dog companion Blue Dozer, was adopted over the weekend. OJ was then found wandering more than 100 miles away.
More >>OJ, a blind dog adopted alongside his guide dog companion Blue Dozer, was adopted over the weekend. OJ was then found wandering more than 100 miles away.
More >>A recent Whitehaven High School graduate who was on his way to the U.S. Army was gunned down while sleeping in his own bed.
More >>A recent Whitehaven High School graduate who was on his way to the U.S. Army was gunned down while sleeping in his own bed.
More >>Fourteen former South Carolina Department of Corrections correctional officers have been named in indictments as part of a federal investigation into alleged bribery and smuggling into state prisons, court documents show.
More >>Fourteen former South Carolina Department of Corrections correctional officers have been named in indictments as part of a federal investigation into alleged bribery and smuggling into state prisons, court documents show.
More >>The parents and husband of a 25-year-old Midlands woman have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines.
More >>The parents and husband of a 25-year-old Midlands woman have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines.
More >>Jurors at Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial are poised to start deliberating after a marathon day of closing arguments.
More >>Jurors at Bill Cosby's sexual assault retrial are poised to start deliberating after a marathon day of closing arguments.
More >>A Huntsville man is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from his church and church members tell police he confessed to the crime in front of the entire congregation.
More >>A Huntsville man is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from his church and church members tell police he confessed to the crime in front of the entire congregation.
More >>