Walk Among Heroes Podcast Episode 22B - Larry Kirby Part 2 - United States Marine Corps, Invasions of Guam and Iwo Jima

Walk Among Heroes

Don't miss part two of our four-part interview series with Mr. Larry Kirby, United States Marine Corps, Third Division.
We are honored to welcome Larry Kirby, United States Marine Corps, as our guest for episode 22. Mr. Kirby was born and raised in the northeastern United States. In the spring of 1942, Mr. Kirby walked out of St. Mary’s high school and joined the Marine Corps. With a massive physique of 5’6” tall and 135 lbs, Mr. Kirby was not your prototypical Marine. He suffered through boot camp in Paris Island, SC, where his first encounter with a Drill Sergeant resulted in a punch to Mr. Kirby’s face.
Following boot camp, Mr. Kirby travelled west across the United States making stops in Camp Lejeune, Nebraska, and Camp Pendleton, for various types of training. He was trained as a scout, which meant he would move ahead of the Infantry to observe the enemy and provide intelligence back to the Marines. Upon arrival in the South Pacific, Mr. Kirby was assigned to Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. The young Marines wasted no time, landing in Bougainville, Mr. Kirby’s first combat.
After Bougainville, Mr. Kirby and the Marines from 3rd Division invaded the Mariana Islands, with Guam as the objective for Mr. Kirby’s unit. Mr. Kirby faced heavy combat in Guam, including one of the largest and most vicious Bonzai attacks of the war. Mr. Kirby was wounded by a Japanese hand grenade during a one-on-one confrontation with a young Japanese soldier. He also lost his best friend, who died in Mr. Kirby’s arms. After being wounded, Mr. Kirby was evacuated for a short period, but he refused to leave his men. He rejoined his unit shortly after being wounded and following the conclusion of a ‘successful’ campaign in Guam, 3rd Division made Guam home base while preparing for the fateful invasion of Iwo Jima.
In February 1945, Mr. Kirby landed on Iwo Jima and began fighting for 22 straight days in some of the most brutal combat our nation has ever faced. Of the 230 Marines who landed with Easy Company, only Mr. Kirby and six other men walked off that island.
Mr. Kirby has documented many of his experiences by writing a book, ‘Stories from the Pacific: The Island War 1942-1945.’ His book can be purchased on Amazon, and we HIGHLY recommend it. Not only are his combat stories phenomenal, he has so many hilarious stories about life as a young Marine. Most fascinating (to us) are his perspectives on the combat, the military, and war in general. For those of us who have been in combat, Mr. Kirby was able to put into words what many of us feel but can’t say. His perspectives really resonated with us, and we sincerely hope you’ll order his book. It’s a must read, in our opinion, especially if you’re interested in World War II, the Pacific Theatre, or you’ve never served but would like a small taste of what combat is really like.
We want to thank Mr. Kirby for sharing his story. He discussed some very difficult topics, and we believe his words are enlightening for those who served in the military, or those who never served at all. This is our first four-part series. Part 1 (Episode 22A) will cover his childhood, joining the Marine Corps, boot camp, and deployment overseas. Part 2 (22B) will dive into Mr. Kirby’s first combat in Bougainville and then Guam (some of Mr. Kirby’s most difficult memories were experiences he faced on Guam). Part 3 (22C) will focus on Iwo Jima, and Part 4 (22D) will cover the final chapter in his book, which is simply amazing.
God Bless men like Mr. Kirby. None of us would be here today without Mr. Kirby, and the millions of young men who sacrificed their lives to provide us with the greatest privilege in the world, FREEDOM.