John Lamar Meeks

USNH, OAKLAND — Japanese civilians, including women with children strapped to their backs. deliberately walked off cliffs or waded out into the swirling water off Marpi Point on Saipan rather than surrender to Marines even though they had been assured they wouldn’t be harmed if they behaved themselves.


”I’ll never forget that sight,” said Sgt. John L Meeks of Madison, Ga., in telling about the mass suicides. Sgt. Meeks was wounded in the shoulder by a Jap sniper a few hours after organized Jap resistance ended. “Our interpreters made it plain to the Jap civilians and soldiers that they wouldn’t be harmed if they surrendered, but they wouldn’t believe us,” the sergeant said. “Jap soldiers were mixed in with the civilians, and as they were not firing on us at the time, we held our fire and pleaded with them to give up as we didn’t care about firing on a group where there were so many women and children.

“Some 50 or more civilians and soldiers suddenly split into two groups near a cliff about 10 or 15 feet high at the water’s edge. Suddenly, there was an explosion in the midst of the group, and those who didn’t fall made a beeline for the cliff and jumped off into the water. A hand grenade had plainly been exploded by some Jap. Those in the other group watched from a distance. Then they started toward the cliff. Some jumped off; others kept walking until they got to the beach. 


“We were particularly interested in the actions of three women. They talked for a few moments, and then, after clasping hands, they deliberately walked into the surf. They seemed to change their minds after the waves caught them, but they acted a bit too late, as the last we saw of them, they were being swept out to sea. We also saw some women with children strapped to their backs wade into the water and drown themselves.”

The Marine Corps Chevron, 9 September 1944