Dave Tabor WWII Assignment 1

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.

Ira Gilliand recalls his night on the...

Ira Gilliand recalls his night on the ridge.

It's tough to talk about this stuff. It's been fifty-eight years. It gives me the chills thinking about it.

The Japanese were trying to outflank us and looked like they were going to overrun our position. I remember their screams. They screamed a lot, especially when they were charging. It made you alert in a hurry even after being up for two days and you're ready to fall asleep.Its hard for me to imagine being there and hearing the screams with absolutely no sleep and having to be so alert just to stay alive. -amber brown 3/2/10 8:54 AM  When I am tired, there is no "alerting" me with anything. I just can not stay up if I am exhausted. However, I  understand having to be alert at a critical time like this soldier was in. It is his duty to fight. -Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 8:59 AM 

They kept charging, but that's where the grenades came in. We threw grenades all night long. I remember rolling the grenades down. We were up on the hill and they were below us. They kept feeding us boxes of grenades.I feel that in this situation I would feel bad for killing all those men but you would have to do it to save your own life and I would be scared to death with all that going on around me. -amber brown 3/2/10 8:59 AM  I would also have a hard time killing the Japanese, but I guess we have to remember that these men were probably trained to not feel a sense of sadness for killing them. I mean, I am sure that the men had a hard time dealing with the stress that came from shooting the Japanese, however, it was there job, again. -Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 9:05 AM  I remember the sound of Plante's BAR. He kept it going all night long. A lot of guys spent a terrible night out there.

The 1st Parachute Battalion was with us. I remember one of the paratroopers got shot. The corpsman came over because of his cry for help, and he [the corpsman] got shot right through the heart. His name was Smith, so when I saw Smith go down, I grabbed him and carried him down the hill. I didn't think he was going to die. When I got him down to the first aid station, I saw one of our doctors cry. [chokes up] Old Smitty was my friend, a real nice guy, and I broke down also.This would be the hardest thing for me to deal with watching someone who was my friend get shot and then die right in front of me. And to be in the first aid station and even seeing the doctors cry, it would be very difficult for me.  -amber brown 3/2/10 9:05 AM  It would also be very difficult to me. I mean, Amber, can you imagine seeing me in the hospital dying? I know that I couldn't imagine seeing you in that state. -Brittany Gurr 3/2/10 9:09 AM 

  

Yeah, I don't know if I would be able to function, not sleeping for 2 days and then hearing screams. I think I would break down and sit down where I was and hope I didn't die. I probably couldn't deal with seeing someone being shot right through the heart. I know I wouldn't want to stay at the first aid station, seeing people die.  -Steph stone 3/2/10 8:49 AM 

Ira Gilliand recalls his night on the...

Ira Gilliand recalls his night on the ridge.

It's tough to talk about this stuff. It's been fifty-eight years. It gives me the chills thinking about it.It's interesting that after that many years he still gets a weird feeling about that everything that happened -julie smith 2/24/10 9:11 AM 

The Japanese were trying to outflank us and looked like they were going to overrun our position. I remember their screams. They screamed a lot, especially when they were charging. It made you alert in a hurry even after being up for two days and you're ready to fall asleep.I couldn't stay awake for that long and still be ready to battle at anytime. -julie smith 2/24/10 9:15 AM  Me either. I think I would be shaking, from being so tired and scared and nervous from the shots. I would definitely fall down.  -Steph stone 3/2/10 9:14 AM 

They kept charging, but that's where the grenades came in. We threw grenades all night long. I remember rolling the grenades down. Thats amazing that he remembers that kind of thing 58 years later. But I guess I would too if I was in this situation.  -Steph stone 3/2/10 9:15 AM  We were up on the hill and they were below us. They kept feeding us boxes of grenades. I remember the sound of Plante's BAR. He kept it going all night long. A lot of guys spent a terrible night out there.

The 1st Parachute Battalion was with us. I remember one of the paratroopers got shot. The corpsman came over because of his cry for help, and he [the corpsman] got shot right through the heart. His name was Smith, so when I saw Smith go down, I grabbed him and carried him down the hill. I didn't think he was going to die.It shows lots of courage that he would carry him down the hill risk his life to save someone else. -julie smith 2/24/10 9:14 AM  It really does, especially after he saw the guy go down by being shot in the heart, after I saw that I would go and check to see if he's still alive. I don't know if I would carry him. I'm not the brave.   -Steph stone 3/2/10 9:12 AM  When I got him down to the first aid station, I saw one of our doctors cry. [chokes up] Old Smitty was my friend, a real nice guy, and I broke down also.

Assignment #3 JFK Murder

--Hi mimi!

  I have a project for history that requires me to email someone who would have been alive during the JFK shooting. I know it happened in 1963 and Lee Harvey Osmond was the man that shot him. Could you exlpain your memory of what happened. How do you think this event impacted the country?

 

 

lots of love,

Stephanie

--I remember exactly where I was --I was at the doctors office in Worcester, Mass and Ann the rec. heard it on the radio.  I was there for an appointment because i was pregnant with your

dad.  It was a tragic time for America.  Everybody was just stunned, why would this happen to our popular president.  I think on that day we lost our innocence and our society became more negative.  He held so much promise for America and with his death we lost that hope.  If you need more just let me know.

--Thank you so much!!! :) :)

I really do appreciate it. 

Have a good night.

Cold War Assignment #2

Cold War Assignment #1

    The U.S citizens might be afraid of what would happen to them if they were under the rule of Valeriano Weyler. They would certianly be afraid that they would be blown to smithereens because of the Cuban Missile Crisis. A final reason American citizens would be afraid is because Communism is trying to spread and if it catches fire in the U.S they lose their rights. 

3rd Quarter Research project topic

I'm going to do a 'Did You Know?' video on Women in the world and Women Rights.
Get a bunch of statistics and make about a 4 minute video.