Published: Monday, May 31, 2010
A role in iconic battle, now a name on monument
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Greeley Wells served in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
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Wells in a photo taken during World War II.
MILL CREEK — For Greeley Wells, the dedication of this city's new veterans monument is special.
It's not just that the Seattle resident's name is one of the many inscribed.
He's related to the designer of the memorial.
Jessi Bloom came up with the concept of the monument. And she is married to Wells' grandson.
Wells, 89, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was part of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the fiercest of the war which occurred in February and March 1945.
As an adjutant, he was responsible for carrying the first U.S. flag that troops placed atop Mount Suribachi, as American forces captured the Pacific island from Japanese soldiers.
Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph of Marines installing a U.S. flag at Iwo Jima later became the model for the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Wells recalled the assault on Mount Suribachi.
“Japanese (soldiers) were all over, in caves,” he said. “On the third day, we set up early morning patrol. …The colonel sent a group of 52 men up the mountain. As they all lined up, he yelled at me ‘Have you got the flag?' I reached in my bag and gave it to him.”
Later, troops planted another, larger flag on the mountain. Its installation was the subject of Rosenthal's photograph.
Wells said he planned to join other veterans at the dedication.
“What you're doing is getting the citizenry together and see what our ancestors did to keep America free,” he said.
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
It's not just that the Seattle resident's name is one of the many inscribed.
He's related to the designer of the memorial.
Jessi Bloom came up with the concept of the monument. And she is married to Wells' grandson.
Wells, 89, served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was part of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the fiercest of the war which occurred in February and March 1945.
As an adjutant, he was responsible for carrying the first U.S. flag that troops placed atop Mount Suribachi, as American forces captured the Pacific island from Japanese soldiers.
Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph of Marines installing a U.S. flag at Iwo Jima later became the model for the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Wells recalled the assault on Mount Suribachi.
“Japanese (soldiers) were all over, in caves,” he said. “On the third day, we set up early morning patrol. …The colonel sent a group of 52 men up the mountain. As they all lined up, he yelled at me ‘Have you got the flag?' I reached in my bag and gave it to him.”
Later, troops planted another, larger flag on the mountain. Its installation was the subject of Rosenthal's photograph.
Wells said he planned to join other veterans at the dedication.
“What you're doing is getting the citizenry together and see what our ancestors did to keep America free,” he said.
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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