KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsAkron, IA veteran survived 35 day battle for Iwo Jima

Akron, IA veteran survived 35 day battle for Iwo Jima

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTIV) - It was the single bloodiest battle of World War Two for American forces... Iwo Jima.

30,000 U.S. Marines stormed the island in February of 1945. Nearly 7,000 never came home. An Akron, Iowa, man, who was on the front-lines, made it through every, single day of the battle. But, his survival still haunts him.

The battle for Iwo Jima was supposed to be over quickly. "I was under the impression that it would be a three-day deal," said Gilbert Pracht, Akron, Iowa.

A month later, Akron, Iowa's Gilbert Pracht was still fighting an enemy he couldn't see. "The Japanese were hidden. They dug out caves." And, let's just say the coarse, black sand was "no day at the beach." "People carried in 50-caliber machine guns. They wouldn't fire. They were full of sand by the time they got to the top of the hill."

As a forward observer, Pracht was often in danger. "Somebody was gonna get killed, but it wasn't gonna be me." It very nearly was. "In the hole it was just me and two other guys." The Japanese fired a mortar shell into the same home. "One guy got killed. One guy got his hand blowed off. All I got was shrapnel in the shoulder."

He was on the front lines the next day... and so was his regret. "There were times that I was ashamed of my purple heart." But, not of his service... fighting all 35 days of the battle of Iwo Jima.

And, when the bullets, and bombs, finally stopped on March 26th, 1945... relief. "I was damn glad it was over."