THIS PAGE CONTAINS INVALUABLE
EYE-WITNESS INFORMATION
CONCERNING THE DEATH OF PhM1c JOHN KENNETH HILDEBRAND
PROVIDED BY
MR. HAROLD J.
HAMILTON
A NAVY CORPSMAN WHO LANDED ON GREEN BEACH WITH THE 1ST BN, 6TH MARINES
ON 21 NOVEMBER 1943, DURING THE BATTLE FOR TARAWA
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NOTES BY JIM HILDEBRAND
( WEBMASTER ) DURING JUNE 2007 MR. HAMILTON'S SON DISCOVERED THIS WEBSITE AND PASSED THE INFORMATION ON TO HIS FATHER. MR. HAMILTON CONTACTED ME AND PROVIDED A WEALTH OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE DEATH OF MY UNCLE JOHN KENNETH HILDEBRAND. HONORING MY UNCLE, AND DISCOVERING THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, ARE THE TWO PRINCIPLE REASONS FOR CREATING THIS WEBSITE. IT HAS SUCCEEDED FAR BEYOND ANYTHING I THOUGHT POSSIBLE. IN OUR FAMILY, MY UNCLE WAS KNOWN BY HIS MIDDLE NAME "KENNETH", BUT HE WAS APPARENTLY KNOWN BY HIS FIRST NAME "JOHN", WHILE IN THE SERVICE. ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT CONFUSING, YOU WILL FIND BOTH NAMES USED INTERCHANGABLY THROUGHOUT THIS WEBSITE. MUCH OF THE INFORMATION SHOWN BELOW WAS EXCERPTED FROM A COPY OF MR. HAMILTON'S UNPUBLISHED 22-PAGE ACCOUNT OF HIS WARTIME SERVICE, WHICH HE WROTE IN 2003 AFTER NUMEROUS REQUESTS FROM HIS FAMILY. ALSO INCLUDED ARE EXCERPTS FROM MY ORIGINAL NOTES, TAKEN DURING A NUMBER OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. HAMILTON DURING JUNE 2007. |
1943
WHILE AT CAMP PAEKAKARIKI
(McKay's Crossing) NEW ZEALAND
HAMILTON MEETS HILDEBRAND:
WHILE LANDING
ON GREEN BEACH - HAMILTON SEES HILDEBRAND
THEN LATER - DISCOVERS HILDEBRAND'S BODY BENEATH LVT:
NOTE: SEE MAIN PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PHM3C
CLINTON L. HOATSON JR.
HAMILTON GIVES ADDITIONAL DETAILS
DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION:
NOTE: CLICK
HERE FOR
MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTO OF "A" MOUNTAIN.
HAMILTON AGAIN PROVIDES ADDITIONAL
DETAILS
DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION:
HAMILTON AGAIN PROVIDES ADDITIONAL
DETAILS
DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION:
OBSERVATIONS,
OPINIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS, IN MY OWN MIND, WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE BODY SHOWN IN IN THE PHOTOGRAPH BELOW IS THAT OF MY UNCLE.
IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION ADDED ON 26 MAY 2014 BY J. HILDEBRAND
THIS PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THAT THE BOW OF THE LVT-1 WAS ACTUALLY POINTING MORE TO THE SOUTH AND NOT TO THE EAST AS WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. THIS NEW INFORMATION SHOWS THAT MR. HAMILTON WOULD HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY PROTECTED BY THE WRECKAGE WHILE STANDING NEAR THE BODY.
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THINGS TO CONSIDER
FACT CITED: |
PHOTOGRAPH |
HAROLD HAMILTON |
THE PHOTOGRAPH IS OF THE LVT-1 IN WHICH KENNETH WAS KILLED |
YES - PROVEN |
YES - LOOKS SAME - TURNED OVER ON TOP |
KENNETHS BODY WAS POSITIONED FACE DOWN |
YES |
YES |
KENNETHS BODY - ABOVE THE WAIST - WAS PINNED BENEATH LVT AND NOT VISIBLE |
YES |
YES |
KENNETH'S BODY WAS BENEATH BOW OF LVT AT ITS SOUTHERN END |
YES |
COULD HAVE OFFERED PROTECTION TO HAMILTON |
PLEASE CONTACT ME
IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE MEN OR EVENTSJim Hildebrand
j i m @ t a r a w a 1 9 4 3 . c o m
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J. HILDEBRAND
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