I Am Lucky That I Am Alive Today
Letters from William J. Rewerts
To Tillie Rewerts
William J. “Willie” Rewerts, a farm boy from Franklin County, Nebraska, was called up to serve in May 1943. He would serve at the battles of Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima as a rifleman and squad leader in Able Company, 24th Marines, and received two Purple Hearts for his overseas service. His wound at Iwo Jima would ultimately lead to his discharge – but, he reassured his mother, it was “a nice clean hole and will be as good as ever in a couple of weeks.”
These letters, originally published in the Franklin County Sentinel, were written after the battles for Namur and Saipan. Willie was far from the only Marine to write home asking for a sidearm – specifically, a .45 caliber revolver or pistol – after facing the Japanese in action. His mother Tillie, who had lost a young son and her husband in the past ten years, wasted no time finding one: her “wanted” ad ran in the paper on the same day as Willie’s first letter.
“Following is letter received by Mrs. Tillie Rewerts from her son PFC William Rewerts, who is with the Marines.”
published 24 February 1944
Dear family,
Here I am many miles from home in the Marshall Islands. The name of the island I am on is “Mamur.” You have probably already read about it in the papers and heard about it over the radio. The first Japanese soil that we have taken. We landed on February 1 and secured the island on February 2. I was on the fighting front all the time and didn’t get hit but had lots of close calls. It is warm here and the flies are thick. I have been swimming in the ocean today. I hope all is well with you.
I am writing on a machine gun and with a Jap pencil, and my hands are dirty, so excuse all that please.
Your son, PFC Willie Rewerts
“Bill Rewerts Got Himself Some Japs”
published 5 March 1944
Namur Island, February 7
Dear Mother:
I am feeling fine and swim in the ocean every day. The weather is warm and we get rain every once in a while. The flies are sure thick and are sure a pest. I got myself some Japs and it was a great experience. I sure hope the war ends soon. I don’t even know how it is coming along, except for the Marshall islands that we marines took over. The name of the one I am on is Mamur [sic] Island. It was the toughest one I fought on, because they had been here so long and were well prepared.
I don’t know what I will be doing for awhile or where I am going. I am hoping all is well back home and that you aren’t short of money. I hope I can soon send you a little as I will need some towels, soap, etc.
I would like to have a .45 caliber revolver if you can get hold of one. I can get shells for a .45 caliber but not for any other revolver. So if you can get hold of one please send it to me. I would appreciate it. It would come in handy fighting the Japs, especially in the jungles, and maybe I could get some Japs with it.
I am writing this with a Jap pencil. Love, Bill
“William Rewerts writes of Battle of Saipan.”
published 3 August 1944
Dear Mother and Sisters,
I hope you haven’t worried too much about me. I know it has been a long time since the last time I wrote but it has been impossible until today.
You have surely read about the Marines and the Army taking Saipan. We fought 26 days before we secured the island. D-day was June 15 and we went 26 days without being able to wash or change clothes. We were getting so that the last few days we could smell each other. I had my first hot meal last night and it sure went good after going 26 days on rations. I got so that I enjoyed eating the beans, hash, and dry biscuits. Lots of times it was hard to get water to us because of the rough territory. I dug a foxhole every day and some days two or three if things got too hot. I averaged two hours sleep every night and there was always shooting going on and hand gernades [sic] being thrown by the Japs and we too. A lot of the Japs would use long sticks with bayonets for night work. Every morning ten to 100 yards in front of us we would see from 4 to 300 Japs killed by our fire. It rained often but that didn’t slow us up any and at night we would seep or rather we would lie in our foxholes half full of water. The Japs were well prepared for us, but we were also prepared for them. The island of Saipan is 12 ½ miles long and the land is very rocky. The Japs have held this island for a long time. You can look at the map and see that I am not far from Japan. I sure wish the people at home could see how the Japs live, they would appreciate their homes much more. The Japs live in cheap wooden buildings and raise little livestock, chickens, pigs and sugar cane was their main crop. I also wish the farmers could see the rocky land the Japs farm. They would appreciate their farms much more. The Japs did their farming with oxen and we Marines used them to haul our supplies over the rough land.
I am lucky that I am alive today and I thank God that I am. I said many prayers every day along with may other fellows. I am learning more every day how lucky we are to be Americans.
I am receiving your letters and the Sentinel, and I even got them at the front lines which sure makes a fellow feel good.
Tell all my friends to keep writing. It means a lot to me. Willie Rewerts