[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING A FIGHTING FOURTH MARINE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 19, 2000

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor today to recognize a 
life member of the Fourth Marine Division and the Marine Corps League, 
Milton Saxon, a resident of Longview, Texas, in the Fourth 
Congressional District. Milton was a member of K Company, 3rd 
Battalion, 25th Regiment, Fourth Marine Division from March 1944-May 
1946 and fought on Iwo Jima.
  Milton has put into writing many of his thoughts and memories about 
his service in World War II, and I am pleased to share some of those 
with my colleagues today. Milton recalls joining the Marines in March 
of 1944, at the age of 18, and being trained in San Diego before being 
shipped out to the Marine Transit Center at Oahu. Here he was attached 
to the Fourth Marine Division on Maui, where he boarded the L.S.T. #684 
to begin their trip toward Japan. Private Saxon and the Fourth Division 
landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. Milton was part of the fifth 
wave of Marines that hit the beach, where ``hell was breaking loose.'' 
``Without exception, every friend that was within touching distance of 
me was either killed or wounded,'' he writes.
  Milton's vivid descriptions of what happened that day and during the 
ensuing days reveal the confusion, the terror, the courage and the 
heroism among those young soldiers and officers. On Iwo Jima they 
encountered situations that they could never have been adequately 
trained for--yet situations where time and again they rose to the 
challenge and prevailed in the line of fire. By nightfall of that first 
day, K Company was down to 150 men. ``It is impossible to describe the 
exact emotions, smells and sounds of this battle,'' Milton said. ``I 
don't have nightmares any more, but my memory will never die. I will 
always honor those less fortunate than I was.''
  Milton describes the ensuing battle over the next 27 days that led to 
victory at Iwo Jima. Private First Class Milton Saxon was a survivor. 
The friends he made in the Marines who also survived have remained 
life-long friends. ``There are not many advantages of war, but one 
advantage is finding someone that is closer than most brothers can ever 
be,'' he writes.
  Milton now belongs to a Marine Corps Detachment composed of Marines 
from Desert Storm, Korea, Vietnam and World War II--and even some who 
are presently serving in the Marines. ``Nothing has been lost between 
the generations of service . . . All of the history, the lore and the 
tradition of the Marine Corps lives on through each member.''
  Mr. Speaker, as we adjourn today, I want to thank Milton Saxon for 
taking the time to record his memories of his war experiences and to 
tell his story with honesty, conviction--and even some humor where 
appropriate. His first-person account will be handed down through his 
family for many generations and will provide a powerful legacy of that 
most important time in world history--and one of the defining times in 
American history.
  He is retired now, having served his country for 37 years in Texas 
public education as a school administrator, teacher and coach. Milton 
Saxon is one of those from ``the Greatest Generation''--a selfless 
young man who heeded the call of duty, risked his life for his country, 
and forever will be an American hero. As we adjourn today, let us do so 
in honor of my friend and an outstanding American--Milton Saxon.

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