r
adios.
During 1st lt. alexander
oof
bonnyman’s final assault
erpr
on the bunker behind red
at
beach 3, then-staff sgt.
w
norm hatch (bottom) fear-
e
w,
n
lessly stands in full view of
the enemy (right) to film
sued
combat action. the footage
is
appeared in the documen-
e
re
tary With the Marines at
s
w
Tarawa (below).
marine
the
a,
a
w
ar
t
er
ft
a
t:
f
ac
mini
Tarawa produced many heroes, including
1st lt. alexander Bonnyman Jr., USMc, who led a
team of engineers in an attack on a bombproof bun-
ker, easily identifi able on tarawa today. the massive
structure was covered with sand and had fi ring posi-
tions built into it. During the process of attacking the
bunker, Marine combat motion picture photographer
Staff Sgt. Norman Hatch, USMc (who would retire
as a major), found himself nearly alone atop the bun-
ker, staring down at a full squad of Japanese infantry-
men below him. they were as startled as he was, and
in his rush to get back under cover, he says, “i missed
the shot of what would probably have been the best
picture of the war.” He and his team captured out-
standing footage of the assault and the face-to-face
fi ghting ashore. remarkably, he caught on fi lm a close
sequence of armed enemy soldiers dashing from the
bunker. a documentary fi lm incorporating his foot-
age of the battle earned a 1944 academy award.
62 Military officer January 2007 imaGes: aboVe anD to p, CoUrPHOteTsOYS maj./IMAGE normanS: TKTK imaGes: aboVe, maj. Dale robinson, UsmC-ret.; to p, “taraWa, soUth paCiFiC, 1943” bY
t. hatCh UsmCr-ret.; leFt, UsmC sGt. tom loVell, UsmC/national mUseUm oF the marine Corps
Dec_tarawa.indd 62 11/4/09 3:17 PM
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