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Join Kim Munson as she sits down with World War II veteran Jack Thurman to delve into his incredible story of bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Jack, a young Marine at the time, shares his vivid memories of the iconic flag-raising and the fierce combat that took place on this pivotal island. Listen in as Jack recounts his interactions with fellow Marine, Ira Hayes, and the admirable camaraderie they shared through one of America’s significant military engagements.
SPEAKER 08 :
American war heroes from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They selflessly served, and these are their stories. America’s veteran stories with your host, Kim Munson.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome to America’s Veterans Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure and check out my website, AmericasVeteransStories.com. We have the recaps of these shows there. And I am just so thrilled and honored to get to talk with Jack Thurman. He was a young Marine in 1945 who fought at the Battle of Iwo Jima, which was a pivotal battle in World War II. It was a battle for airfields. that would get our bombers an airfield where they could actually go on bombing raids to Japan. And so it was a very important battle. Jack Thurman, welcome to the show. How are you today? I’m just fine. Thank you. Well, you’re a pretty famous guy, Jack Thurman, because you have been very active this last year. This was the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, and you had a couple of really cool things that happened. One of them is you are in the special National Geographic edition regarding World War II. So congratulations, and tell us a little bit about that, Jack.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, I felt very proud of what was going on with the geographic. And the reason I’m saying that is because that’s something that I grew up with in the family. And Dad just loved it. And so that was special for me. And I would love to… Go into detail with you on it.
SPEAKER 12 :
That would be great. What happened? Because, yes, almost every family has National Geographics at home. And this one, this recent addition with you in it, you have your red cap on there. It’s really a cool honor. So, yes, please tell us about that, Jack Thurman.
SPEAKER 11 :
Talk about what?
SPEAKER 12 :
About what? Yeah, talk about when the interviewer came out where he interviewed you for National Geographic and took your picture. Tell us about that.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, the picture of, did you grab it? Yes. That was great. I loved it. And it was just nice to have him here with me. And this is something I will never forget. I’ll remember these things. And it was special. So how old are you, Jack Thurman? Don’t tell everybody, but I’m 94.
SPEAKER 12 :
Your secret is safe with me and all the people that are listening, okay? You’ll be 95 this September. Oh, my gosh. And that other voice that we hear from time to time is Jack’s daughter, Karen Thurman. And, Karen, thank you so much for arranging this interview. We greatly appreciate that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, we appreciate you taking the time. It’s important to get these stories out. I remember him talking about when National Geographic came. It was a surprise to him. And he just couldn’t believe that he was being interviewed and even considered for a picture or an article with National Geographic because, like he said, he grew up with it.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, yes, it doesn’t happen every day and it doesn’t happen to most people. So that’s very cool. Now, Jack Thurman, after you did the interview with National Geographic, then you went back to Washington, D.C. Is that correct? Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And that was for the 75th anniversary of Iwo Jima. So what happened? What did you do when you were in Washington, D.C.?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I enjoyed being there in D.C. And it was just a real thrill for me to be able to see the famous spots there in that area. And the one that I liked the most was George Washington. And I enjoyed that. Okay. But anyway, it was an honor to be able to participate in all the events. And the people were just wonderful.
SPEAKER 11 :
Do you remember who you met? Do you remember some of the people you met? Yes. He got to meet the commandant of the Marine Corps. Oh, yeah. Nice. Major of the Marine Corps. And the Joint Chief of Staff who gave him a coin. Nice. And remember who was yelling in the crowd at you when we were going out to look at the Arlington… They did, Kim, they did a really nice ceremony there. I hope you don’t mind if I speak for him.
SPEAKER 12 :
No, I think that works okay, Karen.
SPEAKER 11 :
Okay, let’s put my words in his voice because I’m pretty much speaking for him. Okay. Yeah, they did a tremendous, tremendous event out there. We flew out on the 26th and then came back on the 26th of October. February and came back on the 1st of March. And that’s when the epidemic was starting. So we were a little bit nervous about going. But I remember asking dad the day before we left, All arrangements were already in place, but I made sure, and I asked him, you know, educated him about the pandemic, and if he was to get sick on this trip and pass away because of it, because it sounded so serious, would it be worth it to him? And he said yes. So that was his choice, and we went ahead and went. We wore masks the whole time. Wow. Okay. Airlines flew us out there. And we had police escort from Virginia and D.C. the entire time, wherever we went. And do you remember some of the places we went to for all the planes? Oh, yeah. Tell her about some of the planes you saw at the National Airplane Museum. Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
That was something else. Unbelievable.
SPEAKER 12 :
And then you also met the president as well. Now, was that there or was that someplace else? That was before.
SPEAKER 11 :
Long story short, I was working out trying to get some of the Iwo Jima veterans recognized. And, of course, especially my father. I’m a little biased. Yeah. The reply we got back was, oh, this is, yes, let’s do this from the White House. Let’s have you guys fly out on the 18th, and I’ll introduce a couple of the Iwo Jima veterans. And Dad was invited. And I thought, boy, oh, boy, we’ve got a bunch of 90-year-olds, and you want us to fly out there on the 18th to D.C. and back in one day, maybe two. And then go to, I had heard Wynn, though, his rally. back which is a whole day trip sure and then get back on a plane on the 26th to dc again i said it’s just too much that is a lot sure for these guys so that’s 18 and we um ended up driving up to colorado springs on the 20th and um he was introduced at the rally there along with uh two other ilijima veterans um let’s see bob whiffle don whiffle excuse me uh-huh And Jim Blaine, maybe? Jim Blaine and Al Jennings had to cancel last minute. Okay, okay. Great. And then they had a bunch of the wounded warriors and some veterans there. And then, of course, me being a veteran myself was also recognized as a woman veteran commander in the Navy. So that was nice. But they only introduced Dad and the other two veterans for Iwo Jima. It was quite an honor to hear my dad’s name coming out of President Trump’s mouth out of his mind. It was pretty overwhelming and awestruck that President Trump mentioned your name.
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What I liked about him, he just seemed to be like the average person. That’s what I liked about him. I enjoy talking to him.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it’s not every day you get to talk to the president either, Jack Thurman. Let me correct that.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s why I’m here. Sometimes the memories get a little garbled. Sure. He was not able to meet President Trump, but he introduced him from the podium while we were up in the stands. Got it. Okay. Okay, I’m with you. And he did get to meet the VP, though. Okay. Okay, Mike Penston. Yeah, he did get to meet him, had a picture, got his book to him. Both of them, actually.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. Well, and what happened 75 years ago? Let’s go to that. We’ve got a few minutes in this segment. But Jack Thurman, tell us, where did you grow up when you were a kid? Where did you grow up?
SPEAKER 09 :
In good old South Dakota.
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And how did you end up becoming a Marine?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, the one thing that I wanted to remember is my uncle was in the First World War as a Marine. And so I kind of wanted to be, you know, following his footsteps and so on. And that was my big desire to do that. What was his name? Raleigh Tormey. Walter. Walter Tormey. Walter Tormey, yeah. Okay, okay. And he was killed in Belleau Woods. What I’d like to do here is ask you, are you familiar with a war horse?
SPEAKER 12 :
I don’t know. So tell me about that.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, they used the horses in Belleau Woods because of the swamp. And I have a strong feeling that when Uncle Walter was killed in the swamp, that they brought him out of there on a war horse. And that’s something that I always think about, how that must have been. Wow. Yeah, it was around, if I remember correctly, there was around 1,100 horses killed, probably wounded and dead out of that swamp. It was called the War Horse, and they had a movie on it.
SPEAKER 12 :
I’m going to have to take a look at that. And warhorses, they had to be specially trained, didn’t they, Jack?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yeah. Well, they were special, yeah. They were a very smart horse. They knew what they were doing and they knew what they were involved in. Wow. And so your uncle was killed at… I feel that they were proud to do that. They knew the danger. And it had to be a proud moment for them to carry a body out of that swamp.
SPEAKER 12 :
Wow. I’m just kind of taking my breath away. I hadn’t really thought about that, Jack. So here your uncle was killed at Belleau Wood in World War I, and then World War II comes along, and you decide you’re going to be a Marine, a kid from South Dakota. So what was basic training like after you decided to become a Marine? Oh, wow.
SPEAKER 09 :
Infantry training, really. And I enjoyed San Diego. And Camp Matthews also was with the Fire and Range and so on. So I really learned a lot more about weapons, and the BAR was one of them. Okay. I got real good training there in San Diego, and I was proud of it, to be a part of the group. And all of us guys worked together. We were all buddies.
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What were you being trained for?
SPEAKER 09 :
Infantry fighting. What were you called? Oh, Carlton Raiders, yes. You were called what? I was a Carlton Raiders.
SPEAKER 11 :
Okay. It was a very elite group, and they were the first ones. They were being trained and called the Carlson Raiders for World War II. When they were done with their training, the different divisions broke up and went off to where they were needing to go. And that was the development, my understanding, that was the development of the Navy SEALs, the recon, the leaping frogs. And they broke up the Carlson Raiders at that point, but my understanding now is that the Marine Corps is starting to come back with a new group called the Carlson Raiders in recognition of these guys.
SPEAKER 12 :
Wow. Okay. So, Jack Thurman, was Iwo Jima your first battle, or where had you been prior to Iwo Jima?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, that was my first battle, yes.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, and you turned 20 during the Battle of Iwo Jima, correct?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I was 19. Okay. When I was on Iwo Jima, I was 19 years old. Turned 19.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. That’s what I thought. I thought that I read that you had your birthday there. I was going to say celebrated, but I don’t think that’s the word that you use when you’re taking a Pacific island from the Japanese. You know what? Let’s go to break. When we come back, then we’ll continue this story. This is Kim Munson. This is America’s Veterans Stories. And I’m talking with World War II veteran Jack Thurman, his daughter Karen Thurman, who is also a veteran, is helping us out as well. And before we do that, though, one of my valued partners is Hooters Restaurants. They have five Colorado locations. They are accepting to-go orders. You can place those orders at order.hooters.com, or you can call the store. They have curbside service option. And they’re actually, now you can dine in as well. I was over there the other evening and had some great food. beverages and nachos and so would highly recommend a drop by if you don’t want to cook and so go to order.hooters.com for more information we’ll be right back with world war ii veteran jack thurman it’s time for more of america’s veteran stories with your host kim munson I’m thrilled to be talking with my friend and valued sponsor, and that is Karen Levine, award-winning realtor with REMAX Alliance. You are a valued sponsor, and why do you partner with me on America’s Veterans Stories?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I think what you’re doing, Kim, is amazing and awesome and something that any American could benefit from. But hearing the stories of our veterans and how they have served our nation and how they have kept us… The home of the free and the brave, as we say, is something that we all need to, one, know about and appreciate. So I think the work you’re doing here is marvelous. And the part that I love is I have some students in my community Bible study who actually utilize your show as part of their history course.
SPEAKER 12 :
That is so cool. Just gave me the chills. I just love that. And Karen, I mean, you have been in the real estate business for many years. We’ve been friends for many, many years. Have you helped a lot of veterans find their homes?
SPEAKER 10 :
I have. And in the market that we’ve been experiencing over these last three to five years, it’s been challenging for our veterans because there’s a perception out there that the financing that veterans can obtain, which is a VA loan. is not easy to obtain and that there are hurdles. And that is a misnomer. That is, people have received misinformation. And so sellers have shied away from wanting to take a VA buyer, as we refer to them as. And I’m an advocate for the veteran, and I can explain to the other agent that, the seller’s agent why it is a benefit, not only to their seller to take this offer from a veteran, but the benefit to both the buyer and the seller and get a veteran into a home. And it’s an exciting journey to be able to do that for our veterans. Having the knowledge and the education to be able to navigate that for them is something that I really pleasure in doing and look forward to those opportunities when they come my way. Well, and, you know, we’ve been friends for so long.
SPEAKER 12 :
I have your phone number memorized. It’s 303-877-7516. 303-877-7516. And I know that you can help anybody that is buying or selling a home, but I know you really do have a heart for these veterans. Thank you so much, Karen Levine.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks for having me in studio today, and I look forward to helping any veteran out there that’s looking to buy or sell. And again, that’s 303-877-7516.
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Remax Realtor Karen Levine helps bring to life the individual stories of our servicemen and women. With her sponsorship of America’s Veteran Stories with Kim Munson, Karen honors the sacrifices of our military and is grateful for our freedom. As a member of the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors, Karen works to protect private property rights for all of us. Karen has a heart for our active duty military and veterans and is honored to help you buy or sell your home. Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516 to help you navigate buying or selling your home. That’s 303-877-7516.
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All of Kim’s sponsors are in inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Munson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmunson.com. That’s kimmunson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to America’s Veteran Stories with Kim Munson. I am Kim Munson. Be sure to check out our website. That’s AmericasVeteranStories.com. The show recaps are there. This show precipitated from a trip that I took in 2016 with a group that took or accompanied four D-Day veterans to Normandy, France, in celebration of the D-Day liberation of the European continent. We return back to the States realizing how important these stories are to be told and to capture them. And that’s the reason that we do this show. And I’ve had the great honor to interview over 130 World War II veterans. And thrilled on the line with me is World War II veteran Jack Thurman. He fought at the Battle of Iwo Jima, which was a… very important battle in the Pacific Theater in World War II. He was just a young kid. He was 19 when the battle started on February 19, 1945. He was a kid from South Dakota, long way from home. And Jack Thurman, let’s talk about this battle. Now, where were you before you headed to Iwo Jima? Were you in Hawaii, or where were you exactly? Um…
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I was still—I think if I understand you correctly, I was still in camp.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And then how did you get to the battle then? You know, when did you get your orders? What did that all look like?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I think I see what you mean. Well, we were—we left Hawaii, and— headed for the campaign. And it was something that it’s hard to believe that you can be involved in something that’s so ugly. And it was an honor for me to be in the battle and I could probably go on and on. I don’t know where you want me to go.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, well, so you’ve left Hawaii, and now you had to get off the ship into landing craft to make the landing, correct?
SPEAKER 09 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, and can you remember what was going through your mind at that time? Were you afraid, or what were you thinking?
SPEAKER 09 :
No, I really wasn’t afraid. I knew that we were going into something that had to be done, and I had no fears at all. I was ready.
SPEAKER 12 :
Did you feel that you had ample training for that day?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yes. I felt very comfortable about everything. When I was in the Carls and Raiders, I also went below sea. I was in submarines also training. And so I had those trainings, really. I was almost ready, really.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. And to set this up, I would encourage people to go and try to find on the Internet the island of Iwo Jima. It is stark. Mount Suribachi is, what, about 543 feet above the water level, and it’s daunting. And the Japanese had actually dug caves. They had caves and tunnels. And we thought that we had softened the island up. And you guys were surprised. The resistance was much, much stronger than we realized. My understanding, Jack, is that the Japanese let the first wave of Marines get onto the beach and they held their fire. And it wasn’t until the second wave was coming on that they really opened fire. And you guys were surprised. Am I recalling that correctly?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, what I saw was artillery fire that was just littered the sky with Japanese artillery. And we were really surprised. We weren’t expecting that at all. And so that’s one thing that I’ll never forget. The Japanese were prepared. And we felt that this was something that had to be taken care of. And so we just hung in there and took our leggings along with the other boots.
SPEAKER 11 :
So I think her question was, and I think this is a good thing to clarify, Or limited. Yeah. Yeah. And when you couldn’t even hit the beach, both M-tracks on each side of you were hit and sunk and killed. So I’d say the artillery fire was pretty significant, even with the first wave.
SPEAKER 12 :
With the first wave. Okay. Okay, so let’s talk about that, Jack Thurman. First wave, Iwo Jima. Landing craft is coming up to this beach, which is volcanic sand or ash. There’s not much, very many places to hide. What happened when you hit the beach?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, first of all, it was – we weren’t – we were surprised at the attacks that we were – resistance that we were getting. And it was – The whole thing about trying to get on the beach was very difficult. And the Japanese had artillery fire that just wouldn’t quit. It was just unbelievable. We weren’t expecting all that. But we went on in and did what we had to do. And I got in right in behind… The attack, I had a group over on the way to get out of the Japanese attack. And I think that’s what you mean.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah. And so I heard there were kind of berms or something. How did you get your foothold there?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, my first, the way we got on the beach was Amtrak. Okay, okay. And Amtrak was something that we respected. It was a good unit, and it helped us to get in, really. And it spun around and dropped? Yeah, LST, yeah. Okay, okay. Talk about that. Oh, okay. I can talk about the landing with the LSTs. And they opened up the way for us and we didn’t move in. And it was, everything was happening so fast that we just couldn’t, I’ll put it this way. The beach was something that we didn’t expect all the resistance. that we were getting from the Japanese. They were there waiting for us. And it was just… I think I’ve covered what you want. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 11 :
Okay. What happened when you hit the beach? Remember you were talking about the sand and going up the hill? Yeah. Tell her about that.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, okay. So when I got onto the beach… I moved in to where I was on the inside of the attack, and the way I hit the beach was something that I’ll never forget. and uh what was it like what is it you won’t forget jack what was it like once you got onto the beach what was the sand like what what uh was it hot it was hot i’ll tell you what it was hot all the way across yurijima the whole island was nothing but uh lava beds and uh the uh island was shaped five miles here about you and dumped lava all the way across the island the island it was it was warm i mean if we dug a It was warm in that foxhole. And it was hot all the time. And the idea of trying to move through the black sand, which I found out, why black sand? And I found out that the volcano was so hot and full of foxholes. that had burnt the yellow sand. And that’s where the black sands come from, burnt by Montserrat Bashi. And so I was in this kind of a heat system all the way across the Ujima. And I have a feeling that the idea of trying to wipe out the hot sand and so on was difficult. But we didn’t get a good start. We were alone holding on the airfield number one for the whole day. We were there. We couldn’t move out. And we battled for a good solid week or more. along Motogama Airfield No.
SPEAKER 1 :
1.
SPEAKER 09 :
And that is where we got into a heavy battle. And the thing that really caught my attention was the equipment that the Japanese used to reach us and to pin us down. It was difficult for us to handle. A cosmic suicide plane came in, and… I saw it coming, and I was firing away at the nose of that plane. I could see the pilot sitting up in his cockpit, and I was firing away, and when he got to where I was at, he dropped down right in the middle of us, killing all of the Marines that were there. I was in my foxhole when that happened, and I jumped into my foxhole, and when that plane dropped down, I was covered head to foot. And I thought for sure that this is where I was going to be because of the exploding fire. And the battle went on and on. It was difficult to… pull out but i got out of i got out there thank god two guys who jumped over when he when they were running running past me and one of the one of the guys said hey he says there’s a guy down here and they dug me out i really feel if he hadn’t have seen me i’d probably still there today because i was i was literally buried in black sand and uh So I was able to get out of there, moved out of there. The thing that really got me was we were there a good part of the day, working, fighting, and so on. We couldn’t get out of there at all. The Japanese were so powerful, unbelievable. And I finally got out. I dug myself out, and I got out of there. And the thing that really got me was the suicide plan. Well, I probably should have said that, but anyway, that’s what it was. And I can go on and on in that part of the department if you want.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, tell us some more about that, Jack. Pardon? Tell us some more.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay. I shouldn’t be laughing, but you sound kind of funny. Okay. He wants to know more. Yeah. You know, we were on that beach a good week and a half. In that area, we couldn’t get out of that Boneyama Airfield No.
SPEAKER 1 :
1.
SPEAKER 09 :
When that caused the plane to drop down and clear it out of the way, I heard a guy holler, I need help over here. And I jumped in, and here he was on Boneyama Airfield No.
SPEAKER 1 :
1.
SPEAKER 09 :
That’s where he was at. And so he needed help, so what I did, I jumped over there on the far side of Motoyama Airfield No. 1 to get coverage behind the Japanese planes that were in wreckage. But when I got clear to run over to where he was at, I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was getting bullets in the sand there, one after another. I don’t know how in the world I got through, but I got through. I needed to get over to him because he was needing some help. And I finally got over there to him. and dropped in behind him in his Vauxhall. And he says, okay, you take cover here. I’m going down to the end of Moriam Airfield Number 1. He said there are three B-29s coming in, and they’re going to be landing here. And I saw those B-29s flying over the beachhead when we were making our landing. They were flying real low. And the thrill of seeing those B-29s heading for Tokyo is where they were going. And so what happened was when he told me what he wanted me to do was he took off. Well, all right. So the thing was I thought, well, okay. I finally got to the point. I could cover this guy that wanted me to help him. coming back. They were there for the landing and then they were coming back. And two of them crash landed out in the ocean. And I saw the guys running down the wing of their B-29s trying to get out of the water. And what got me was the guy that was in that foxhole Let’s see, what was that? Okay, getting back to where the B-29s landed in the water, and I thought, oh, boy, you guys, I hope you guys can swim, because they were running down the wings of the B-29 and trying to get out of the water. And so they made it and whatever. But it was really hectic there. And one of the guys, so one B-29 got in. And the rest of them were crashing out there in the water. And so not one B-29 got in. What I did was to run off into the area and try to give help to this guy that wanted me to come in the first place. And I took over the position. And so from this B-29 that crash landed, A officer comes running out of the plane, and he was… What was so interesting was he was running away from the B-29, and he… He was headed for me, and he got to me, and the thing that I had to do was to try to cover him. He got to me and he says, I need to get some coverage. I need to get out of here. And he tried to take over the run, but I helped him out by being there for him. He was beating this bomber that crashed. And so he ran over towards me and he says, he says, I need some help. And so this is kind of funny here, what happened. got to me, and he says, well, he says, there were kids, and there were Japanese, and there were Japanese all over the place. And I think I’m kind of getting lost here just a little bit. He said, boy, am I glad to see you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, on that note, Jack and Karen, let’s go to break. And when we come back, we’ll do our final segment with World War II veteran Jack Thurman. Hey, before we go to break, I am thrilled to be talking with one of my valued sponsors, and that is Lauren Levy with Polygon Financial. Lauren, it’s so great to talk with you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, you as well. Thank you, Kim.
SPEAKER 12 :
You know, you’re a valued partner, and this is a really special show. But why have you decided to be my partner on this?
SPEAKER 02 :
These veterans have earned the right to have our respect, and I recognize that. And they also need to know about certain benefits that are available to them based on their service. And I have some benefits that I can offer, I feel.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, and you’re a real specialist in helping people in finding just the right individual mortgage for them. And as you mentioned, there’s some very special things as we were preparing for this. You said, this is something that we probably have gotten right, and I love that. So explain.
SPEAKER 02 :
Exactly. You know, I think a lot of people, when they hear that the government is getting involved with something, think it’s going to be, you know, a huge mess and maybe go sideways. But I really think when it comes to home lending, the VA loan is something that the government did well. It really affords these veterans some benefits that are not available to the regular homebuyer or homeowner. And if they don’t know about it or aren’t aware about it, they need to learn about it.
SPEAKER 12 :
So what would some of those benefits be, Lorne Levy?
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay, so with eligibility, a veteran is entitled to, let’s say, purchase a home with 0% down. Oh, that’s a big help. With huge, with no mortgage insurance added on. Someone looking to refinance, if they just wanted to take advantage of a lower rate, there’s a VA EARL program, which is like a streamlined, low document. Refinance doesn’t require an appraisal or income proof.
SPEAKER 12 :
So people could lock in a much lower rate.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. And if they wanted to pay off some debt, some bills, they can take cash out of their home all the way up to 100% of the value. These are all things that aren’t available to a normal non-veteran homebuyer or homeowner.
SPEAKER 12 :
It seems like it’s a great way for we as Americans to say thank you to these men and women who have stepped up and have been willing to put it all on the line to protect us and protect our freedoms. And so, yeah, I’m glad to hear that it looks like that probably we got this right.
SPEAKER 02 :
Exactly. I think, you know, when these guys come home from wherever they’re coming back from, it’s hard to, you know, step right back into society and have a big down payment saved up like most people that work a nine to five job do. So these guys are entitled to come back and have zero down and still on a home because while they’re off doing their thing, they oftentimes have wives and kids or husbands and kids here that need a roof to over their head and need to be able to pay that mortgage and and without a huge down payment.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, so if people want more information, Lorne Levy, with Polygon Financial, what’s the best way for people to reach out to you?
SPEAKER 02 :
So the best way is to just call us at 303-880-8881. You can always go to our website at www.polyphigroup.com. There’s information there, but to call is the easiest way. You’re going to get me most of the time, and I’m glad to talk this over, and I know all the information, and all we need to know is if someone’s eligible for it through their military service, and… It really is a great program for these guys and gals.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. So Lauren Levy, again, your number is 303-880-8881. So again, 303-880-8881. That’s correct. And thank you so much for being a partner.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. Thank you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, this is Kim Munson. We’re going to go to break. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
That’s 303-880-8881. Call now.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s time for more of America’s Veteran Stories with your host, Kim Munson.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to America’s Veteran Stories with Kim Munson. Be sure and check out the website, AmericasVeteranStories.com. That’s where these shows are archived. The podcasts are there. On the line with me today is Jack Thurman. a World War II veteran. He’ll be 95 this year. He turned 20 during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Also on the line is his daughter, Karen. She herself is a military veteran as well. So first of all, thank you to both of you for your service. We’ve got this last segment, Jack Thurman, and you were involved in the picture of the flag raising or near the flag raising, which is the photograph that actually served as the kind of the model or the inspiration for the Marine Memorial incident. And, you know, we all know what that is, is these Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi. Tell us about how did you meet Ira Hayes and tell our listeners about Ira Hayes if they don’t know him. So tell us about that, Jack Thurman.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay. You’re asking me to talk about Ira Hayes? Yes, please. Okay. What we met was in Hawaii. And I knew that he was a code talker. He was a very famous code talker. And so I was sitting there watching him work on his switchboard, which was mounted on his jeep. And I thought, you know, I’d kind of like to get over there and meet him. So I did. And the thing that got me was the… He said, well, okay, what I want to do, I want to learn a little bit about code talking. That’s what I want to do. And he says, well, sure, no problem. Sit down here. Well, after about a half hour to an hour or so, he says, did you say you’re from South Dakota? And I said, yes, sir. He says, when can you go back? I couldn’t speak that coach stuff for nothing, you know. And he knew it. Well, Ira and I became great buddies. He started to talk to me about his problem. And he says, I do a lot of drinking. I’ve got a lot of people that are, you know, put out with me and all that. And I said, Ira, you don’t have to apologize to anybody. I said, you, I think what I did… I made a good remark, and I said to him, I said, you are one brave American Indian. And I don’t think he ever forgot that, because he never got encouragement from anybody. He was always bad guy, bad guy. And so Ira and myself became real good buddies, real good friends. And I really felt strong about that. He was a brave American Indian.
SPEAKER 12 :
Tell us about that, you going up Mount Suribachi with Ira Hayes. What was that like?
SPEAKER 09 :
It was… So what happened was our commander wanted to, he asked me and Meyer Hayes to go up and help them raise that flag. Because the wind was blowing so strong up there, those guys were just all over the place trying to keep that flag erect. And so Ira and I, this is how we got involved. And we took off and we both went up to the mountain together. And as we got close to the flag was being swaying all over the place, the wind was so strong up there. And that was typical in the South Pacific at that point. And so what we did was, excuse me, we jumped into the, well, I’m not saying that right now. I’ll put it this way, that I couldn’t figure out How in the world did you get passed?
SPEAKER 12 :
How to get past the Japanese?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay. So how did you do that? Were you sneaking around, or how did you do that, Jack?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, how I did it was I had to get… more or less kind of get command of where I was at. And that was one of them, was to get rid of that Japanese sniper that was right in front of me there. And so that took some ingenuity to get nuts taken care of.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, so as you’re going up the mountain, you ran into a bunker, is that right? Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, what happened was, this happened, like I say, in a Japanese bunker. Okay, I was directing a tank, a Sherman tank. The Sherman tank was going in the wrong direction. There was so much commotion going on, it was just unbelievable. And the Sherman tank was going in the wrong direction to start with. Now, I ran out in front of this Sherman tank and directed them. I knew how to do this because I was trained in the Carlton Raider, knowing how to do this. And so I got the Sherman tank out of the way, and the bunker was right there beside me, right in front of me. And so the Sherman tank pulled away. And then what I did, I went on and down around behind this bunker. And what happened was that there was another area in there that I could jump into safely, which I did. And I did that. And so then when that was cleared, I came in with my rifle, and I caught this one sniper, and I cleared him out of the way. And then as I got him out of the way, I moved on down to the other end of the bunker. I thought there would be a place for me to get in. And so I did. And what happened was that I dropped in behind. I thought to myself there had to be a door or some sort of way to get into that bunker. And so I did. And I raced on down. And I got where I was safe. And what happened was then I had to get into that bunker. And so I fired my rifle and so on, and I got into this bunker, and here were five Japanese. They had taken their life, and they were lined up along the wall, and they were over each other in that area with… Their toe, the big toe, stuck in the trigger of their rifle, and they were head to toe, head to toe, head to toe, head to toe. There were five of them. And I fired, and here it was. They were lined up, and… There was nothing more that I needed to do. And, of course, we had to eliminate him as fast as we could. And so that’s what I did. Okay.
SPEAKER 12 :
So, Jack Thurman, we only have a few minutes left. Tell us about you and Ira Hayes when you got to the top of Mount Suribachi. What happened there?
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay. Beautiful. What happened there was Ira Hayes, he wanted to grab ahold of the flagpole that was about a foot and a half extended out. And he says to me, he says, I think I’ll run up there and grab ahold of the end of that flagpole and get us more support. And I said, okay, driver, go for it. I’ll cover you. And so that’s what he did. He went up there, grabbed the whole of that flagpole, and gave it a shove upward. And that is what started our being able to take over. And the thing was that I had to… clear my way somehow. And it was a touching moment again. And so what happened was when I moved out of the area so that, okay, I got to say something here real quick. The B-29 that flew over the beach when we were making our landing, heading for Tokyo, They came back. They landed there. They did not land, but they came back. Wow. We had the B-29s at our disposal, and that was a real thrill to see those B-29s flying around. Sure. Yeah, yeah. So the thing that I had to do was… to get out of the area, which I did. And the thing that bothered me the most was I had to get a hold of the base of that flagpole, which was about a foot and a half. And he grabbed a hold of it, and he gave it a shove upward. to give the guys on the flag, the flag raising, were all over the place. The wind was so strong up there, they couldn’t keep control of that flag. But I would manage to. So what happened was, Ira and I, Everything was happening so fast there, it was just unbelievable. And so the flag raising was started with Ira, and he helped the rest of his buddies that were having problems hanging in there because of the wind. And so I… So I moved in, and the thing that got me was how everything was, like I said, happening so fast that it was difficult to get organized. as fast as we could. The thing that I lost was trying to cover the area that I was after.
SPEAKER 11 :
How did you get pulled in? After they did the flag raising, they did another, a second photo called the gung-ho photo. How did you end up getting pulled into that?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I already gave the orders. And that’s how I got involved in the gung-ho picture. And the reason that he was on me is because I was helping him on that strike. And it was a proud moment for me.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, Jack Thurman, we are out of time. But my friends, you have just… heard from Jack Thurman, World War II veteran, a piece of history when he was giving cover for Ira Hayes and the other guys to be raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which really gave the Americans heart for that battle. Jack and Karen Thurman, thank you so much for this interview today. I so appreciate it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you. It was an honor.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you. God bless America. Yes. So God bless you and God bless America. This is Kim Munson signing off.
SPEAKER 08 :
Join us next time for America’s Veteran Stories with your host, Kim Munson. Until then, keep saluting our vets.
SPEAKER 04 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
