Ira, Thanks for writing your experiences in Saipan. I know it was horrible. Dad received shrapnel in his face when something blew up, he did recover altho he had pieces of that left in his face all his life. He was with the 106th Infantry, 27th Division, G company. My cousin was in one of the Marine units there. I know there was some kind of a controversy betwen the Army and Marines and the Army commander got relieved of duty or something, I have a book about it, but don't remember the details. His unit has a reunion in Cedar Rapids Iowa every June. Dad couldn't attend because he was disabled by strokes by the time they found him to invite him, but after he died my husband and I attended one in his honor. It was very nice. Their unit found a baby Japanese girl while there (dangerous Japanese trick!), and they fed her and used their t-shirts, etc for diapers and she survived. Sharon