Cpl. Jim Goodrich was wounded by machine gun fire before he could make to it to the top of Mount Suribachi with the rest of his 5th Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
But 64 years later, Goodrich hopes to stand on top of the historic battle site when he travels there this week as part of the annual trip, which is organized by Military Historical Tours.
"I was mostly on my stomach then. I'd like Japan tours to stand up and look around there," Goodrich said while having lunch at Jeff's Pirates Cove yesterday. A group of about a dozen Iwo Jima veterans, as well as their family, friends and some historians, will depart on a day trip to Iwo Jima tomorrow and Thursday. Guam is the gathering place for the annual tour. Yesterday, they visited various sites around the island.
Mount Suribachi is where Marines and a Navy corpsman raised a large U.S. flag on Feb. 23, 1945 -- a few days into the bloody, monthlong battle. The flag-raising was the subject of a prize-winning photo that was the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial in the nation's capital.
Goodrich said he never thought about returning to Iwo Jima or to Guam, where he was transported after being shot in 1945. He stayed on Guam for about 13 days before he was stabilized and sent to Hawaii for further treatment, he said.
But Goodrich made plans after his doctor said he would accompany him if Goodrich decided to go. The Marine veteran also said the trip was a good and rare opportunity for him and his grandson, who is a history teacher, to visit Iwo Jima.
2009年3月18日星期三
2009年3月9日星期一
Asian markets down, Japan at 26-year-low
Most Asian share markets dipped on the latest glum news from Japan, where stocks hit a 26-year low on the announcement of the country’s first current account deficit in more than a decade.
The country logged a deficit of 172.8 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in January in its current account as exports almost halved from a year earlier. Sydney and Seoul bucked the trend but elsewhere sentiment was down. Singapore saw its lowest close since July 2003. Hong Kong shed 4.8 percent as shares in banking giant HSBC plunged 24.1 percent.
TOKYO: Down 1.2 percent. The Nikkei-225 slipped 87.07 points to 7,086.03. Real estate firms were among the main victims.
HONG KONG: Down 4.8 percent. The Hang Seng lost 576.94 points to 11,344.58. It was the lowest close in more than four months, with much of the downward pressure coming from HSBC, which accounts for the index’s largest weighting.
SYDNEY: Up 0.3 percent. The S&P/ASX 200 rose nine points to 3,154.5. Strength in commodities helped the mining sector outweigh losses in bank shares, but gains were capped as the market saw the day’s performance by other bourses in the region.
SHANGHAI: Down 3.4 percent. The Composite lost 74.26 points to 2,118.75. With worries over figures coming this week on the consumer price index, trade and industrial output, dealers said, the market was skittish.
TAIPEI: Down 0.55 percent. The weighted index lost 25.39 points to 4,628.24. After opening down on profit-taking, losses were extended on continuing concerns about the extent of the global economic crisis and a weak performance by most of the region’s markets.
SEOUL: Up 1.58 percent. The KOSPI gained 16.7 points to 1,071.73. The market got a boost from a stronger won but dealers reported jitters over a possible North Korea missile launch.
SINGAPORE: Down 3.7 percent. The STI dropped 56.17 points to 1,456.95. It was the index’s lowest clos since July 2003, with market sentiment negative about the outlook ahead.
KUALA LUMPUR: Closed for holiday.
BANGKOK: Down two percent. The SET Composite lost 8.24 points to 411.27. Banking shares led the way down, with the market nervous about the US bailout plan for troubled insurer AIG.
JAKARTA: Closed for holiday.
MANILA: Down 1.5 percent. The composite index lost 29.54 points to 1,890.62. The main push down came from power retailer Meralco, which plummeted 25.4 percent to 94 pesos amid rumours of a proxy fight over the company.
MUMBAI: Down 2.0 percent. The Sensex fell 165.42 points to 8,160.4. Ahead of a two-day holiday, the market dropped on worries about a sell-off by overseas funds and the weak performance on bourses across the region.
http://www.dragonflytours-japan.com
The country logged a deficit of 172.8 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in January in its current account as exports almost halved from a year earlier. Sydney and Seoul bucked the trend but elsewhere sentiment was down. Singapore saw its lowest close since July 2003. Hong Kong shed 4.8 percent as shares in banking giant HSBC plunged 24.1 percent.
TOKYO: Down 1.2 percent. The Nikkei-225 slipped 87.07 points to 7,086.03. Real estate firms were among the main victims.
HONG KONG: Down 4.8 percent. The Hang Seng lost 576.94 points to 11,344.58. It was the lowest close in more than four months, with much of the downward pressure coming from HSBC, which accounts for the index’s largest weighting.
SYDNEY: Up 0.3 percent. The S&P/ASX 200 rose nine points to 3,154.5. Strength in commodities helped the mining sector outweigh losses in bank shares, but gains were capped as the market saw the day’s performance by other bourses in the region.
SHANGHAI: Down 3.4 percent. The Composite lost 74.26 points to 2,118.75. With worries over figures coming this week on the consumer price index, trade and industrial output, dealers said, the market was skittish.
TAIPEI: Down 0.55 percent. The weighted index lost 25.39 points to 4,628.24. After opening down on profit-taking, losses were extended on continuing concerns about the extent of the global economic crisis and a weak performance by most of the region’s markets.
SEOUL: Up 1.58 percent. The KOSPI gained 16.7 points to 1,071.73. The market got a boost from a stronger won but dealers reported jitters over a possible North Korea missile launch.
SINGAPORE: Down 3.7 percent. The STI dropped 56.17 points to 1,456.95. It was the index’s lowest clos since July 2003, with market sentiment negative about the outlook ahead.
KUALA LUMPUR: Closed for holiday.
BANGKOK: Down two percent. The SET Composite lost 8.24 points to 411.27. Banking shares led the way down, with the market nervous about the US bailout plan for troubled insurer AIG.
JAKARTA: Closed for holiday.
MANILA: Down 1.5 percent. The composite index lost 29.54 points to 1,890.62. The main push down came from power retailer Meralco, which plummeted 25.4 percent to 94 pesos amid rumours of a proxy fight over the company.
MUMBAI: Down 2.0 percent. The Sensex fell 165.42 points to 8,160.4. Ahead of a two-day holiday, the market dropped on worries about a sell-off by overseas funds and the weak performance on bourses across the region.
http://www.dragonflytours-japan.com
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