Chief Cook Bastiano Ragusa
Bastiano Ragusa was born on November 14th, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Grace Crefassi and Nicholas Ragusa, both Italian immigrants. He was the youngest of their five children, but it is unknown what his occupation was prior to WW2. However, when Japan launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Bastiano enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 11th, 1942 to do his part for his country. After completing boot camp in San Diego, Private Ragusa attended Cook and Baker School for four months, advanced to the rank of Assistant Cook, and transferred to the camp’s Headquarters Company, Recruit Depot. Two months later, he was promoted to Field Cook, then Chief Cook on March 10th, 1943 while working in the mess hall. Chief Cook Ragusa remained in this occupation until March 21st, 1945, when he joined the 57th Replacement Draft bound for the Pacific. By this time, the war was coming to a close, but there was still plenty of fighting to do against the Japanese. The draft left the US on April 13th aboard the USS Admiral C F Hughes, and Ragusa was about to participate in the last major offensive of the war, Okinawa. The replacements disembarked at Guam at the end of the month to await orders, and finally arrived at Okinawa on May 27th, where Chief Cook Ragusa joined Company L, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines, 6th Marine Division the same day. This unit had just taken heavy casualties at Sugar Loaf Hill earlier in the month and desperately needed replacements to continue fighting.
Okinawa
On May 27th, Marine engineers laid footbridges across the Naha Canal, and three days later, Ragusa and his battalion crossed it to take over the assault on Telegraph Hill in east Naha. Initially, the infantry were pinned by flanking fire from Hill 27, but the eventual arrival of tanks allowed them to seize it. These defenses were a part of the Kokuba Hill line, and each one had to be eliminated before any advances could continue. After pushing a few hundred yards past Hill 27, Chief Cook Ragusa and the 22nd Marines met the enemy at Hill 46. Through incessant rain and mud, the assault elements were met by heavy machine gun fire that denied their attacks. After artillery pounded the hill during the night, the Marines were finally able to capture the hill, cross through Shichina, and advance across the line north of Kokuba by July 1st. When the 1st Marine Division began cutting off the Oroku Peninsula, the 22nd Marines were called up to the south to create a line across its base and attack with the 4th Marines on June 6th to disrupt enemy logistics.
Meanwhile, the rest of the division continued their circling move in the face of heavy enemy resistance. Although Ragusa was a cook, no area was safe during the next brutal days. Nevertheless, the remaining Japanese were confined in an 1,000 by 2,000 yard area by June 10th, and launched futile counter attacks against the Marines during the night. At 7:30 AM in the morning, the Marines launched their own to break the last defenses. Chief Cook Ragusa’s 3rd Battalion moved off towards Hill 53, captured it in the afternoon, and continued pressing the attack. By June 15th, the last Japanese emplacements fell, and so did the Oroku Peninsula. The battle for Okinawa ended a week later, and Ragusa’s 22nd Marines relocated to Guam to begin training for the invasion of Japan, which thankfully never came after the Japanese announced their surrender on September 2nd. Chief Cook Ragusa’s unit sailed to Tsingtao, China for the occupation and to repatriate Japanese soldiers back to the mainland for a few months. Finally, Ragusa began his journey home on February 8th, and was discharged from the Marines on March 2nd, 1946 and received a Good Conduct Medal. Bastiano returned to his home in New Orleans and in 1958, married Angelina Cappola and had two children. He resided here until his death on June 26th, 2004.
Okinawa
On May 27th, Marine engineers laid footbridges across the Naha Canal, and three days later, Ragusa and his battalion crossed it to take over the assault on Telegraph Hill in east Naha. Initially, the infantry were pinned by flanking fire from Hill 27, but the eventual arrival of tanks allowed them to seize it. These defenses were a part of the Kokuba Hill line, and each one had to be eliminated before any advances could continue. After pushing a few hundred yards past Hill 27, Chief Cook Ragusa and the 22nd Marines met the enemy at Hill 46. Through incessant rain and mud, the assault elements were met by heavy machine gun fire that denied their attacks. After artillery pounded the hill during the night, the Marines were finally able to capture the hill, cross through Shichina, and advance across the line north of Kokuba by July 1st. When the 1st Marine Division began cutting off the Oroku Peninsula, the 22nd Marines were called up to the south to create a line across its base and attack with the 4th Marines on June 6th to disrupt enemy logistics.
Meanwhile, the rest of the division continued their circling move in the face of heavy enemy resistance. Although Ragusa was a cook, no area was safe during the next brutal days. Nevertheless, the remaining Japanese were confined in an 1,000 by 2,000 yard area by June 10th, and launched futile counter attacks against the Marines during the night. At 7:30 AM in the morning, the Marines launched their own to break the last defenses. Chief Cook Ragusa’s 3rd Battalion moved off towards Hill 53, captured it in the afternoon, and continued pressing the attack. By June 15th, the last Japanese emplacements fell, and so did the Oroku Peninsula. The battle for Okinawa ended a week later, and Ragusa’s 22nd Marines relocated to Guam to begin training for the invasion of Japan, which thankfully never came after the Japanese announced their surrender on September 2nd. Chief Cook Ragusa’s unit sailed to Tsingtao, China for the occupation and to repatriate Japanese soldiers back to the mainland for a few months. Finally, Ragusa began his journey home on February 8th, and was discharged from the Marines on March 2nd, 1946 and received a Good Conduct Medal. Bastiano returned to his home in New Orleans and in 1958, married Angelina Cappola and had two children. He resided here until his death on June 26th, 2004.