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I asked the southpaw why he didn't get the sword himself. He said: "I let my buddy have it. I can't carry any more.'' He pointed to his pack which he had laid on the ground. There were three samurai swords hung on it.
Inside the crib were two newly killed Japs. One's shirtfront was purplish with spreading stain. The other's face was crimson with his blood. These men had not been up to suicide. They had waited stolidly in their hole to be killed.
Our Flag. Now the cleanup is about finished. Wheeler's company alone killed 300 Japs today and lost only two men. That kind of performance was repeated by other outfits in the pocket where good fighting men had died to head off the charge that made no sense.
The battle of Saipan is over. Tomorrow our flag will go up.