Dave Taber was one of "Horse Collar" Smith's communicators who fought bravely among Sweeney's men. Six of the seven men were casualties that night.
We were on top of the ridge near the command post. Major Bailey came up and made an eloquent speech. He said something like this: "All you fellows have buddies and friends that have been wounded and killed, and it will all be in vain if we lose the airfield. Now let's get out, hold the line, and save the airfield. If we lose the airfield, we're going to lose the island." That was about the gist of it. It was quite dramatic and got everybody moving. I thought to myself it was almost like something out of a movie.I was with a close friend of mine, Ike Arnold. (Ike's name was really Herman Arnold, but I called him Ike.) We each had five or six grenades. We went out. I'm not sure what happened, but somehow we got separated from some of the other guys. In fact we were a little too extended, I guess. When the Japs attacked, we were throwing grenades. There was a lot of shooting going on, a lot of action: rifle fire, grenades moving so fast. I would be so nervous and scared hearing all those gun shots going on. I get nervous when I hear hunters in the woods near my house shooting off their guns. -Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 8:53 AM
I get especially nervous when I head gunshots and my dog is outside. I get in a panic and look for him and if I can't find him from my window I'll go outside and yell to him and search outside until I find him.-Steph stone 3/2/10 9:04 AM
I would be more nervous and scared then anything hearing all that shooting and seeing everyone dying. I would not even know what to do with myself. -amber brown 3/2/10 9:20 AM
Anyway, we were throwing grenades down the ridge, and then all the sudden Ike talked to me. [Choking up, Taber said, "I'd rather not go through this," but then continued.] He called me Tabe. He said very calmly, "Tabe, I've been hit." I turned to him. He was off to my side a little, and I said, "Where?" He said, "In the throat." He no more than said that, and he was dead. I can not imagine having one of my friends die right in front of me. I would be so shocked and feel helpless. I know that if I was in that situation I would not just stand around. I would feel like I can still help them, even though I know that they clearly are never going to be alive again.-Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 8:54 AM He must have been hit in the jugular vein or an artery. Blood just gushed out. I had my arm underneath him, across his back, and I lowered him down to the ground. [crying] There's nothing you could do. He was a very good friend of mine. I looked around, and I was all by myself. I don't want to imagine one of my friends dying right in front of me. I would probably do the same. (feel like I can still help them when I know that there is nothing I can do) I might start telling him "No", because I don't want to believe that my friend is telling me that he is dying. -Steph stone 3/2/10 9:07 AM The most difficult thing ever would be, for me, is seeing someone i love, a friend die in front of me. I would need some serious help after that. -amber brown 3/2/10 9:23 AM
I thought to myself that I better get back and make contact with the others. I didn't know whether to crawl back or walk back because there was danger both ways. We'd been told what to do in these cases. I acted without even thinking. I decided to stay on my feet. It was pitch dark. I was walking a little bit, and all the sudden I heard something behind me and along comes a grenade right through the air and the fuse is burning! Before I knew what I was doing, I fell on my face away from it. As I was going down, I turned to see where the grenade was falling; it fell in between my feet. I had sharpnel between my feet and legs. I was a little stunned but got up. I was in shock, and nothing was bothering me. I would definitely be in shock, I don't know if I'd get up and start walking, I'd probably just lay there. -Steph stone 3/2/10 8:58 AM I'm walking along slowly and heard a Japanese voice behind me and he was talking to me. He must have thought I was a Jap going up in front of him. I had a .03 rifle and I swung around and shot, Killing someone is so unreal. Can you imagine? I am pretty sure, however, that if it came down to my safety, or war for this matter, I would know that it is my duty to do this. The only time I would ever shoot someone was if my family, friends, or myself was in danger.-Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 8:56 AM Same here. I can't imagine it, but if it came down to it and my life depended on it, and I had just seen my friend die in my arms, I would be filled with rage and feel the instincts to kill them before they killed me. -Steph stone 3/2/10 9:00 AM I agree with both of you. I think anyone if it came down to the safty of loved ones or yourself anyone would do the same. But to kill man after man must have been extremly hard. -amber brown 3/2/10 9:26 AM and he dropped as I kept on going. I finally got back [to the CP], and one of the first people I ran into was Horse Collar Smith, who was wounded.
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