Pacifica Military History Free Sample Chapters.pmd

14 Pacifica Military History
Pfc Johnny Borich, who was operating one of two flame-throwers
on Red-3, was the pointman. He lightly doused the top of the bunker
while Harry Niehoff tossed a big charge in hopes of subduing the
defenses. Next, Borich moved forward to spray a concentrated burst of
flame. As Niehoff prepared to throw another charge, Borich screamed,
“Grenade!” Everyone hit the dirt.
The instant the dust settled, Corporal Niehoff threw another big
charge. It blew, and every man behind the fence piled into the open and
legged uphill to the summit.
All over Red-3, Marines curious about the commotion stopped what
they were doing to look on as Sandy Bonnyman and a half-dozen Marines
made it to the top. TSgt Norm Hatch captured the breakthrough with his
movie camera.
The first key had been turned by Johnny Borich and Harry Niehoff.
The combination of flame and TNT had killed the crew manning a
machine gun at the top of the bunker and had set the palm-frond
camouflage afire to cover the breakthrough.
The next key was turned by a pioneer named Earl Coleman. As Sandy
Bonnyman sparked the team and issued a steady stream of orders, Pappy
Coleman yelled for TNT and tossed fused charges as fast as he could
light them. In moments, he had blown the cover off a camouflaged
entryway on the southeast corner of the huge structure. As hundreds of
helpless Marines looked on, a large knot of Japanese burst from the
exposed entryway and formed to counterattack Bonnyman’s team.
There were only a half-dozen men atop the bombproof at that
moment. Pfc Johnny Borich was firing burning diesel into the ventilators,
forcing the Japanese to evacuate. Pappy Coleman, Cpl Harry Niehoff,
and Sgt Elmo Ferretti were furiously hurling blocks of TNT. Sandy
Bonnyman faced the Japanese alone with his light .30-caliber carbine.
Bonnyman leaped to the forward edge of the toehold beside Harry
Niehoff, rammed home a full fifteen-round clip, and rapidly fired into
the oncoming rigosentai. Some fell. Most kept coming. With the Japanese
only yards away, Bonnyman rammed home another fresh clip and killed
three, just as Marine reinforcements attacking up the backside of the
bunker blunted and turned the Japanese drive.