My grandfather was drafted in WW2 into the 165th Infantry Regiment which was part of the 27th Infantry Division. My grandfathers Battalion was nicknamed the "Fighting Irish" and "Fighting 69" was first tasked in what ended up being the worst battle in WW2 for the American's. *The Battle of Makin saw 1000 American Casualties and 400 Japanese Casualties. The 27th Infantry was tasked with supplying the "Landing Force" to take the tiny Atoll and they of course chose my grandfathers 165th Infantry Regiment. When they were invading the island my grandfather was taking cover and saw their Battalion Leader Col. Gardiner Conroy in the open. My grandfather yelled to Col. Conroy, "Sir, you should take cover their are Snipers in those tree's". The Colonel head my grandfather and stood straight up and screamed, "No, GD Snipers are going to stop the United States Army!". Immediately after saying this Colonel Gardiner Conroy was shot in the head and killed. My Grandfather survived this hair raising battle in one piece and his next mission to invade Saipan. My grandfather was a heavy machine gunner and during the big Banzai Charge at Saipan my grandfather had his leg shot off. He walked around with a wooden leg for the rest of his. However he lead a good life when he got home from the war he married my beautiful grandmother and had 7 children and 9 grandchildren and worked at the Chicago Post Office Building for 40 years. He passed away in 1993 RIP Grandpa McIntyre.
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