Bob Gasche

Bob Gasche a resident of Gainesville, Florida is best known for his work, KEEP ALACHUA COUNTY BEAUTIFUL. What Bob also provided us was his personal glimpse of the"GREATEST GENERATION."

Bob enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 1943 and went on to take his boot camp at San Diego Recuit Depot. Form there he went onto North Island, San Diego Harbor for a short tour of duty. It was not long before he was sent to Camp Pendleton, California to take his advanced infantry training as a member of the Fifth Marine Division, F.M.F (Fleet Marine Force). It was at this time the newly form Fifth Marine Division was being activated.

The Fifth Marine Divsion nickname "The Spearhead" spent its early months training, being equipt and brought up to strength at Camp Pendleton. Elements of the division began departing for overseas service in July 1944 as the reserve for the Guam campaign. Not needed, they arrived at Camp Tarawa, near Hilo, Hawaii. The rest of the division arrived between August- November 1944.

At Camp Tarawa, the Fifth honed its combat skills and awaited the call to duty. It came in late 1944 when the division received its combat orders for the assult on Iwo Jima. It was at this time intensified training begain on terrain that was a close match to the ground on Iwo Jima. In December 1944, transports begain arriving at Hilo. Loading began on 16 December, and the last units of The Spearhead pulled out of Camp Tarawa 4 January 1945.

It was predawn on D-Day, February 19, 1945, when the dark was giving way to the first light and the sight of our target Island, dominated by its 504-foot volcano named Suribachi. The eight square-mile island had been"soften up" by 72 days of bombardment from ships and planes.Some observers doubted that anything could have remained alive after the deluge of explosions. How wrong they were-this deadly piece of Hell called Iwo Jima turned into 36 days of death and destruction

Private Bob Gasche a 21-year-old Marine was about to see his first combat on this island. He went on shore the first day, but not in the first wave. "I clearly remember the beach was already crowded with casualties," he says. "I can clearly remember a body rolling in the waves."

The Marines had cut the Island in two by the end of the first day- despite taking over 2,400
casualities. On Day 2, the Marines attacked Mount Suribachi. Here they found fanatical Japanese defence and Suribachi was taken on February 23 after three days of fighting. Despite capturing Suribachi, the battle continued to rage for many more days, and the island would not be declared "secure" until March 16, 1945.

When the flag was raised Gasche says"It was just a wave of exulation that swept the Isalnd." It would only be short lived as Private Bob Gasche would be wouned and eventually taken to a hospital ship, where he underwent surgery to remove the shrapnel from his abdomen. As he was being evacuated to Hawaii. he also lived to tell of an emergency landing, when the plane carring him and other injured men was forced down onto a small island after losing two of its four engins.

His first battle of World War II turned out to be his last. But a few years later he was called up for Korea and spent another year in combat. And 52 years after he was ferried off the island of Iwo Jima, he got another surprise. The Purple Heart Medal he'd earned in the battle, but never received, arrived in the mail at his home in Gainesville.

Today Bob Gasche is involved in the many veterans orgainizations in the Gainesville, Florida area.