Cole Whitney writes a letter to Congressman Sam Johnson nominating Jim Reed for the Congressional Veteran Commendation. Reed served as a rifleman in the Marines during World War 2, including the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was wounded twice and saw most of his company killed. Despite the horrors of war, Reed went on to have a loving family and shares his story to educate others, exemplifying the ideals of the Marine Corps. Whitney interviews Reed about his service and believes he deserves recognition for his lifetime of devotion to the nation.

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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Cole Whitney
15022 Springwood Drive
Frisco, Texas 75035
Honorable Sam Johnson
United States Congressman
2929 N. Central Expressway, Suite 240
Richardson, Texas 75080
Dear Honorable Sam Johnson,
My son, Sean Whitney, was a member of your Congressional Youth Advisory Council this year and
told me about the Congressional Veteran Commendation. I would like to nominate Mr. Jim Reed for
this award. I previously submitted the Nomination Form after meeting you at the CYAC celebration
last week, but would like to tell you more about this extraordinary man who has become my friend
and fellow champion in the fight to provide the youth of our nation positive masculine role models.
Jim and my father, Ross A. Whitney, Jr. were combat Marines on Iwo Jima. I interviewed Jim while
completing research about my deceased father for an article in the 5th Marine Division Spearhead
Newspaper. Jim was a rifleman with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Regiment, 4th Marine Division
(MarDiv) on Iwo Jima. The mission of the 23rd Marines was to capture Motoyama Airfield No. 1 by
D+1, but after three days they had not reached their objective and lost about 1/3 of their men. Jim
told me that had not elements of the 3rd MarDiv come ashore on D+3 and supported the 4th his
company would have been wiped out. The beach was so crowded with dead American bodies and
damaged equipment and the surf so rough after the initial landings that the beach had to be closed
to additional landings for awhile. This was just the beginning. The “meat grinder” lay ahead.
The battle for Motoyama Airfield No. 1 had cost Jim many of his closest companions, but the next
objective, Motoyama Airfield No. 2, would be much worse (See Map in Appendix). The path to the
second airfield was a maze of rocky crags, ravines and cliffs collectively known as the “meat
grinder,” including Hill 382 (second highest
ground on Iwo Jima). Marines, like Jim and
my father, landed in the bottom of a bowl
and had to fight uphill head on with little
room for maneuver while the Japanese forces
remained concealed in a maze of tunnels and
fortresses built into the land after many
years of ingenious construction by
commanding General Tadamichi
Kuribayashi. After ten (10) days of fighting,
only 15 remained of Jim’s company of about
250 men (waiting for replacements with Jim
on the wing 4th from the right).

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Replacements were added to bring units of the 4th MarDiv to battle strength, but replacements fresh
from boot camp do not have the same battle efficiency as combat veterans like Jim. Jim volunteered
for the Marines in June of 1942. He was a seasoned combat Marine from battles in Saipan,
Kwajalein and Majuro atolls by the time he landed on Iwo Jima and it showed. Jim was one of the
Marines who tried to convince Japanese citizens on Saipan not to jump off Suicide Cliff on the
northern end of the island. On August 9, 1944, while acting with a kindness that would typify Jim
after the war, a Japanese sniper shot him in the back of the head the day the island was declared
officially secure. He was evacuated with a Purple Heart pinned to his robe on the USS Solace to a
hospital in Guadalcanal and then transferred to Pearl Harbor. Jim is a tough, kind and courageous
man who exemplifies the honor, courage and commitment of his Corp. and he would need these
qualities on March 8, 1945 (D+18).
After 18 days of attrition warfare the
4th MarDiv had forced General
Kuribayashi to move his command post
off the Motoyama plateau into the
“bloody gorge” in the 5th MarDiv sector,
leaving Army General Sadasue Senda to
kill as many Americans as possible. A
Captain under Senda’s command
named Samaji Inouye disobeyed
Kuribayashi’s order and launched a
counter-attack, attempting to break
through the lines of the 23rd and 24th
Regiments. 1,000 Imperial soldiers
attacked during the night of March 8.
Jim’s E Company was the first to detect
the attack and opened up with a
terrible fire fight and hand to hand combat. The 4th MarDiv held its lines, but 99 more Marines died.
257 were wounded, including Jim. In the morning Jim’s company was again relieved of duty. Jim
was awarded his second Purple Heart and his war was over.
For some combat Marines on Iwo Jima the war is never over. Men like my father died with
bitterness toward the Japanese, but Jim forgave, remained married to one woman for over 60 years
and raised a wonderful, loving family while working for the railroad and building an insurance
business on the side. He continues to embody the Marine “uncommon valor” and commitment to
this nation in many public appearances and shares his life with me during breakfasts at his home
and events like Daughters of WWII sponsored by the wife of former Dallas Mayor Laura Leppert.
For his life long devotion to the highest ideals of this nation, I would like to nominate Mr. Jim Read
for the Congressional Veteran Commendation.
With Highest Regards,
Cole Whitney

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Appendix: Supplemental Materials
Iwo Jima Landing Plan, February 19, 1945
Jim Reed and Japanese Naval Officer, Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima – March 12, 2008 (Reunion of Honor
Trip)

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Jim Reed (2nd from right) at Clark Middle School Presentation – September 12, 2008
Jim Reed after Presentation at Clark Middle School, Frisco, TX. – September 12, 2008

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Jim Reed after Presentation at Clark Middle School, Frisco, TX. – September 12, 2008
Jim Reed Organized a Memorial to U.S. Military Killed in Action at His Home (Me holding a piece of a
flag presented to U.S. Military on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima)