They Got A Lot Of Us
Letter from Donald L. McCoy
To Elbert & Mary McCoy, 16 July 1944
PFC Donald LeRoy McCoy of Tecumseh, Nebraska, served as an ammunition carrier for the 81mm mortars of First Battalion, 24th Marines. He joined the outfit on 1 September 1943, and was present for duty every day until his discharge at the end of October, 1945. McCoy participated in four Pacific campaigns and came through each one unscathed.
Although he likely wrote letters home after every battle, this short reassurance penned in the interlude between Saipan and Tinian was the only one to make the papers. The Tecumseh Chieftan ran McCoy’s note on 10 August 1944 – by which time he was on his way back for a well-earned rest at Camp Maui.
July 16, 1944
Dear Mom and Dad:
Well, I’ll bet you think something has happened to me, but I’m all right. Boy, did we have a big Fourth of July celebration – all kinds of bombs.
I don’t know whether they have put it out in the States or not as to our forces being in Saipan. It was a big battle. The Japs had a lot of men here and we had to dig them out of caves. This took a long time, and they “got” a lot of us.
We hit here June 15 and this job was completed on July 11. It took a long time, but we got the job done, and where we go from here none of us know.
This will be all for now. Don’t worry for I am all right. Tell everybody hello for me.
Your loving son, DON
PFC Donald McCoy
Hds. 1-24-4 Marine Division
Care Fleet Post Office
San Francisco, Cal.