Stories by Sixth Division Marines
A Voice in the Night
by Harry McKnight (29th Mar-3-H)
July 2013
My wife, Barb, and I attended the funeral service for Harold Walters (22nd Mar-2-F) in Wooster, Ohio. It was nice seeing Alio and Angelina Benedetti and their daughters there. Before the services started, I asked the Minister if I could say something about Harold.
I talked about Harold and his long service to the Association and then picked a battle that involved Fox Company and "H" Company. It was about June 12 or 13, 1945 when Fox Company was in a tough fire fight and had many wounded. We (H Company) had our machine gun squad set up near the top of a slope.
Fox Company would send their wounded past our gun position. When it began to get dark, we would challenge them, ask for the password and allow them to pass. As darkness fell, one of their Sergeants came past and said there were no more wounded. John Wells said to me, "Mac, I'll take the first watch; you get some sleep."
I did and fell fast asleep. Then a strange thing happened. A voice came to me as plain as my mother's and said, "Harry! Wake up, they are coming at you in an iron hat." I snapped up and said, "John! What's going on?" It was pitch black. No moon or stars. He said there were four more coming and they knew the password. The last bunch had said they were the last of the wounded; and we didn't know if this foursome were Nips or Marines.
Just then a star shell from a ship lit up the whole area, and we could see the shine of their metal helmets through their netting. Not like ours. The next morning there were four dead Nips.
Sixth Marine Division