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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


HA1c Harold J. Hamilton
1943



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 HAMILTON'S UNPUBLISHED 22-PAGE ACCOUNT OF HIS WARTIME SERVICE, WHICH HE WROTE IN 2003 AFTER NUMEROUS REQUESTS FROM HIS FAMILY.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
BY
JIM HILDEBRAND ( WEBMASTER )

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.



I WILL BEGIN BY SAYING THAT MR. HAMILTON DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS. HIS REASONING IS THAT HE REMEMBERS KENNETH'S BODY AS BEING UNDER THE LVT ON THE SIDE THAT WAS AWAY FROM THE BEACH. THAT IS TO SAY -- WHILE HE WAS STANDING LOOKING AT THE BODY, THE LVT WAS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND GREEN BEACH. HE REMEMBERS FEELING THAT THIS WOULD OFFER HIM SOME PROTECTION FROM ANY JAPANESE FIRE THAT MIGHT COME FROM THE BEACH. MR. HAMILTON ALSO SAID THAT HE DOES NOT REMEMBER THAT MUCH LVT DAMAGE IN THE AREA WHERE KENNETH'S BODY WAS LOCATED
(SEE THE NEW INFORMATION BELOW.)

ALTHOUGH MR. HAMILTON IS 83 YEARS OLD, HE IS ONE OF SHARPEST TARAWA VETERANS THAT I HAVE EVER INTERVIEWED, AND HE POSSESSES A TRUELY REMARKABLE MEMORY. I HAVE A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN HIS INFORMATION BEING ACCURATE AND RELIABLE.

IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION ADDED ON 26 MAY 2014

BY J. HILDEBRAND


A RECENTLY RECEIVED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THE POSITIONS OF THE LVT-1 AND LVT-2 MORE ACCURATELY. IT WAS TAKEN IN 1944 FROM AN AIRCRAFT FLYING ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE THE TWO LVT WRECKS.

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.




THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS THE POSITION OF THE LVT-1 MORE ACCURATELY THAN THE ONES PREVIOUSLY USED. THIS NEW LVT-1 POSITION SEEMS TO BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH MR. HAMILTON'S ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT.


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



IF THE BODY IN THE PHOTOGRAPH IS NOT THAT OF KENNETH HILDEBRAND, THEN IT HAD TO BE SOMEONE ELSE WHO:

(1) ALSO DIED IN THE SAME LVT EXPLOSION

(2) ALSO LANDED FACE DOWN

(3) ALSO WAS PINNED UNDER THE LVT

(4) ALSO HAD ONLY HIS LOWER BODY VISIBLE




MY CONCLUSION:

WHILE IT IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT THE BODY IS NOT KENNETH,

AND WHILE THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE PROOF,

IT SEEMS TO ME (SADLY) THAT MOST LIKELY IT IS...




PLEASE CONTACT ME

IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE MEN OR EVENTS

Jim Hildebrand
j i m @ t a r a w a 1 9 4 3 . c o m


COPYRIGHT © MAY 2014
J. HILDEBRAND
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
United States of America
No part of this website may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the owner.


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