Marine who led WWII charge up Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima dies

Wonderful man and incredible story, RIP, John Wells, and Semper Fidelis. When John Wells scaled Mt. Suribachi on Feb 21, 1945, another John, my mother's father, had less than a month to live before he was killed in the Pacific War on another Island, the Philippines, on March 14th, 1945 KIA US Army Infantryman, 103 INF, 43 ID.

This is all so personal to my mother, to my family and I. John V. Gallardo died a Private, married with three kids at the ripe old age of 25 and never laid eyes on his third and last child (2nd son) and never got to hold his second son, John Gallardo, Jr before he was killed fighting the Japs while repelling a dawn banzai Attack in the Jungle north of Manila. He joined in Death the 6,821 killed Marines and Navy Corpsmen who gave everything and left everything on that miserable volcanic rock of an island, between 19 February – 26 March 1945. His Battle Buddy and fighting hole partner, Earl O Brake of Alabama was awarded the DSC, (the Army's version of The Navy Cross that John Wells received for his heroism on Mt. Suribachi), posthumously, both men united forever in death were credited with breaking the back of the Jap Dawn banzai Attack and keeping their company's perimeter from being overrun. Both men died where they fought repelling a Dawn Jap Banzai Attack, at Antiplolo, near Manila, in the jungle defending their company's defensive perimeter Strong point, armed with some grenades and two BARs. http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=6498
March 14th, 1945. My mother's father is still buried in the US Cemetery in Luzon, the Philippines in Plot A Row 10 Grave 64, Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. RIP Earl and John.

They were the only two men to die from that their company that day. Earl's Niece down in Alabama did a hell of a job of gathering first hand accounts of the men's last hours and final actions from the surviving platoon members including the platoon commander who placed them in their final defensive positions. Earl's family tried for 65 years to get his award upgraded to the MOH, no luck.

John V. Gallardo, Jr. grew up to serve as a volunteer, in a four-year enlistment on the USS Constellation, CV-64, The "Connie," as a seventeen year old kid (parent had to sign that waiver), right out of Corona High School in California during the Vietnam War 1964-1968 on Yankee station as an Aviation Ordnance Man: "After a short workup cycle, Constellation's third combat deployment commenced in April 1967. With CVW-14 embarked, the carrier operated first on Dixie Station (a patrol area about 60 miles (100 km) off South Vietnam) with strikes in the Iron Triangle region, and then moved north to Yankee Station (a patrol area about 50 miles (80 km) off North Vietnam) for a total of 121 days on the line. Reflecting the intensive nature of air operations, F-4Bs of VFs 142 and 143 accounted for four MiG kills. The eight-month deployment ended in December, having totaled losses of 16 aircraft and 20 personnel, including 7 KIAs and 8 POWs. Both the carrier and CVW-14 received a NUC." The op tempo was brutal for the young aviation sailors, who worked double shifts while on the line for 121 days, during combat air ops, and he stills remembers and mourns Navy pilots that he got to know who flew off on a mission and were KIA or captured or MIA to this day.

John V. Gallardo's oldest Son, Julian Gallardo, also served as a draftee for two years in the US Army during the Kennedy's Administration as a Tanker). Even after death, many of our WWII young men killed in combat gave back to this country when their children grew up to serve in the US Military and/or led good and honorable lives. Of the almost 7,000 Marines and sailors who died on Iwo, no one ever tracked how many of their children grew up to serve in the US Military in Vietnam or just went on to live good lives. Their legacy lives on long after they died on Iwo Jima.

RIP Sir - And Welcome Home.

Amazing story. Amazing Marine.