RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Weary Warrior
In defense of Thomas Ellis Underwood, unsung hero and iconic face of World War II.
This article incorporates content from an earlier series, “Underwood v. Klonis,” first posted to 1stbattalion24thmarines.com in May 2014.
In a fraction of a second, the man became immortal.
He trudged up the hill, the latest in a long string of hills he’d scaled since landing on the island of Saipan twenty-three days ago. He was tired, hungry, and haunted by the things he’d seen. He’d been evacuated on the first of the month, then talked his way back to the lines to celebrate Independence Day with his comrades. The weather was dry and hot, the carbine he carried thumped against his back, and the snapping of rifle fire not far away told him the eighth day of July 1944 was far from over. As he reached for the canteen at his belt, he caught the attention of a pair of photographers.
The man took a swig of tepid water, stolidly ignoring the snapping shutters as he passed the newsmen. A Speed Graphic clicked a shot in three quarters; a 35mm snapped him in profile, and the moment passed.
Then, finally, the man reached for the other essential of life on Saipan – a cigarette. He lit up. Inhaled. Perhaps someone called out to him, or maybe he heard another burst of gunfire, but something caused the man to glance back over his right shoulder. The photographer with the 35mm saw his chance and shot one more frame.
The men armed with cameras – Stanley Troutman and W. Eugene Smith – were consummate professionals; both had many years of experience in the civilian press before going overseas to shoot the war. They knew the importance of putting a name to a face – especially one as striking as this. They pulled out notebooks and asked the young man for his name and hometown. “T. E. Underwood,” they wrote. “St. Petersburg, Florida.” There was no time for more; echoing gunfire told of a battle still in progress a few yards away.
The “Weary Warrior” went back to his squad, and the photographers followed an attacking unit on the push to the sea. “The Marines did crash through to the beach as the sun dropped into the ocean on the western side of the island,” noted Smith. “And hundreds of dead Japanese were given a farewell spotlight by the last rays of the sun.”[1]
Saipan was declared “secure” the following day. As the photographers prepared their negatives for submission, they fleshed out their notes with some extra copy, adding details for their editors while also maintaining accuracy. Both made sure to call out the tired warrior with the memorable face by name.
“…the images 6-8 on Roll 10 on July 8, final days of Saipan Invasion, were 4th Division Marine PFC T. E. Underwood (24th Bat.) of St. Petersburg, Florida. A portrait of a weary warrior who has been through one of the toughest days of his life. And still at the moment the picture was taken under fire.” [2]
"Hot and weary after fighting on the western beaches below Saipan’s Mt. Marpi, Marine PFC T. E. Underwood of St. Petersburg, Fla., takes a long, cool drink of water from his canteen. Beads of perspiration glisten on the weary leatherneck’s unshaven face.”[3]
The photographs caught the eye of the public back home. Troutman’s shot ran in Florida newspapers, including the St. Petersburg Times, delighting George and Cora Underwood, who clipped out a copy and mailed it to their son, PFC Thomas Ellis Underwood of the 24th Marines.[4] Ellis was startled and modestly delighted with his local celebrity. “I never had any idea it would get home,” he wrote. “I just bent down to take a drink, and my picture was taken. The fellow asked me my name and home address.”[5] He would not live to enjoy his minor fame, however. Underwood was killed in action at Iwo Jima the following March, at the age of twenty-two.
Smith, on assignment for Life, had more widespread success. The shot of the “Weary Warrior” glancing over his shoulder became one of World War II’s iconic images, symbolizing the grit, courage, and sacrifice of an American generation. Countless families saw their loved ones in the quiet determination on the young man’s face; the universal appeal and relatability of the image is the reason for its longevity.
The very universality of the Weary Warrior’s expression has led some to believe their relative is the man in the photograph. The question of Sergeant Angelo Klonis, a World War II Army veteran from New Mexico, is an embodiment of this tendency. His children saw what they believed to be their father’s face in the famous photo, and in 2005 engaged a research team to prove what they saw. Unfortunately, by seeking to confirm that the individual was Klonis, this group did not consider whether he could be Klonis. The resulting story was imaginative and attention-grabbing but ignored several basic facts – and while it has been debated and debunked by others in the past, the Klonis identification persists.[6]
In this article series, I will offer what I consider to be definitive proof that the “Weary Warrior” is, in fact, Thomas Ellis Underwood of Company B, First Battalion, 24th Marines and not Sergeant Angelo Speros Klonis, US Army, for the following reasons:
- The original research supporting the Klonis claim dismisses the existence of a "T. E. Underwood" from St. Petersburg, Florida, when in fact a Marine by this name fought in the battle of Saipan.
- The individual depicted in the photographs by Stanley Troutman and W. Eugene Smith is wearing several pieces of equipment which are unique to the Marine Corps.
- Publicly available archival and military documents place Underwood on Saipan, and Klonis in the European Theater, in July 1944; it is essentially impossible for Klonis to have traveled across the globe and back during this time, for any reason.
- Declassified records of the Office of Strategic Services offer no evidence that Sgt. Klonis was involved in any secret operations in any theater.
- The pictures were taken by experienced press photographers whose professional pride and reputation relied on accuracy of information.
- Thomas Underwood actually *saw* one of the photographs, confirmed his identity, and included supporting details in a wartime letter to his family.
It is up to the reader to weigh the evidence and make their own decisions. The “Weary Warrior” is, after all, a representation of what millions of Americans – Underwood and Klonis, Marines and soldiers, sailors and Coast Guardsmen – endured. The effect of Troutman and Smith’s work should last for many years to come, regardless of who we see in their photographs.
A final note: In presenting this evidence, in no way do I intend to malign the name or service of Angelo Klonis. While I do not believe he is in the photograph, Mr. Klonis was a decorated veteran who saw some challenging combat, spent a long time away from home, and put his life on the line to defend his adopted country. In this, he deserves our respect – just as Ellis Underwood, who never had the chance to come home and raise a family, deserves our recognition.
This article is in three parts.
Part II
Part III
The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of:
Colonel Jon T. Hoffman (USMC Retired), Chief Historian for the U.S. Army Center for Military History
Colonel Joseph N. Mueller (USMC Retired), author and historian
Sergeant Major Justin LeHew (USMC Retired)
David R. Holland (USMC Retired)
Justin Taylan, founder of Pacific Wrecks
and thanks them for their peer review of this article series.
Footnotes
1. W. Eugene Smith, field notes, “Saipan Invasion: Final Days of Attack, July 6, 7, 8, 1944.” Collection of the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona.
2. Ibid.
3. In a 2014 interview, Mr. Troutman mentioned that the final wording of his caption was punched up by his editors, but he adamantly confirmed taking down the Marine’s name and hometown personally.
4. The picture ran a few times, first appearing in the 24 July 1944 issue with Troutman’s caption largely intact.
5. “Marines Doing Quick Job Routing Japs In Pacific, But Pause For Souvenirs,” The St. Petersburg Times (17 September 1944).
6. As an example: Military History Magazine ran the “Weary Warrior” as a cover photo in 2013 with the Klonis identification. After receiving pushback from their readers and reviewing an earlier version of this website, they issued an update in January 2014. [Personal correspondence with managing editor David Lauterborn via email, September 2013 – April 2014.]
Interested in locating the comments section — thanks!
Really enjoyed the research article about the Weary Warrior and thank the author and those who contributed to the research. Someone posted a copy of the photo in a local (St Petersburg) Facebook group leading me to search for additional information. He and his family are interred in nearby Sunnyside Cemetery.
This is a fantastic story and a perfect example of how the internet can be a source of great intel. I remember years ago on WW2 Gyrene when people wrote me saying this was Angelo Speros Klonis. That was before all of the tools we have today to do research on the web. The Klonis story didn’t make sense then, and you’ve definitively told the true story. There were only a relative handful of Soldiers and Marines who transferred between the ETO and PTO at this stage of the war. Thanks for keeping it real!