Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Iwo Jima Day 75 Years On
Memorial Hall in the heart of the State House was an appropriate setting to honor our veterans, their families, and other members of the military to observe the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The ceremony today honored all of the more than 100,000 American GIs who battled on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Four of those men were there today, one is my friend, and Manchester-by-the-Sea resident, Larry Kirby. There were 230 Marines in his unit when he landed but after 36 days there were only seven who remained..
Although he said "I just showed up, did my job, and got lucky," what he and others did there was monumentally important and thoroughly courageous. He will celebrate his 96th birthday in June but I think it is up to all of us to keep the legacy of Iwo Jima veterans and all of our veterans in our hearts everyday.
