Corporal Allan J Kind
Allan Jerome Kind was born on June 4th, 1924 in Otter Tail, Minnesota to Janette Thompson and Alvin Kind. He was in the middle of his junior year of high school when the United States was shocked by the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor Naval Base by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941. As his country mobilized for war, Allen could only sit back and watch due to not being old enough to serve his country. When he finally turned eighteen in 1942 and was handed a draft notice, he became tired of waiting and instead enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 30th, 1943. Allen shipped off to San Diego to undergo three months of boot camp and further instruction in basic engineer training at Camp Pendleton beginning on May 17th. Upon completion in August, Private Kind transferred to the 26th Replacement Battalion to await mobilization to the Pacific. The Marines were ordered aboard the USS Mount Vernon on September 20th and immediately set sail to Noumea, New Caledonia, offloading men, and continuing onwards to New Zealand where Private Kind joined Company H, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division on October 10th. He would barely get acquainted with his new squadmates before the entire 2nd Marine Division began boarding ships before the invasion of Tarawa.
Tarawa
After a brief stop in Efate, New Hebrides, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines arrived offshore Tarawa on November 20th. Naval gunfire began pounding away at the small island’s defenders before the first waves began making their way to the beaches by 9:00 AM. The Japanese had unfortunately not been terribly affected by the bombardment and immediately inflicted serious casualties on the Marines landing throughout the entire day. As the reserve, Private Kind’s 6th Marines could only watch from their transport ships as their comrades struggled to hold the beachhead under overwhelming odds. By nightfall, the 2nd Marine Division clung to a small defensive perimeter spanning just the landing zones; if the Japanese launched an attack during the night, the Marines would have nowhere to go but the sea. An attack never materialized to the relief of all, and the Marines resumed the deadly fighting to secure Tarawa. The 6th Marines now began preparations to land as reinforcements, with Private Kind and the 2nd Battalion ordered to Bairiki, the next island to the east of Betio. As their landing crafts waited to land, machine gun fire from their objective harassed them. Naval gunfire, aerial bombardment, and strafing runs were called in to cover the landing with extremely favorable results. The sole Japanese pillbox on the island happened to contain a gasoline can which was struck by a .50 caliber bullet and burned all 15 enemy soldiers. Private Kind and his battalion then landed at Bairiki at 4:55 PM against no resistance. Meanwhile, Marine units on the main island were able to push off the beach and advance to the south shore. The Marines were finally winning.
On the 3rd day, elements of the 10th Marines landed on Bairiki to begin fire missions in support of the Marine advances during the day which were overwhelmingly successful in rooting out the remaining Japanese. Finally, on November 23rd, Private Kind and the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines landed on Tarawa at Green Beach in the afternoon and bivouacked for the day, just a few hours before Tarawa was officially declared secure. Due to his battalion suffering the least casualties out of any unit involved, they were assigned the mission of clearing the rest of the atoll from enemy forces. The only true resistance encountered was on the northwestern island of Buariki on the 26th, where Private Kind was locked in bitter, close range combat for several hours. 32 Marines were killed while accounting for 175 enemy dead. After remaining on Tarawa for a few more weeks, they boarded the USS Prince Georges on January 8th, 1944 and rejoined the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Tarawa, Hawaii by the 20th. Kind, now a Private First Class, transferred to the Headquarters Company of his battalion after Company H was disbanded at the end of the month. It would not be long until the division set out for the invasion of the Mariana Islands.
Saipan
After gaining replacements and completing training, the 6th Marines boarded LST 451 on May 14th and set sail to Saipan, undergoing amphibious exercises on the way. The island had been constantly bombarded since June 11th, so no element of surprise existed. On the 15th, the attack began. The assault elements of the 6th Marines hit the beach under heavy fire at 8:43 AM, with Private First Class Kind’s 2nd Battalion accidentally landing at Red 1, 400 yards north of their assigned area. A testament to the ferocity of Japanese fire, all four assault battalion commanders became casualties during the first few hours, and the 6th Marines could only open 100 yards of beachhead. To make matters worse, a group of 25 enemy soldiers charged down the beach from the north and struck the regimental command post and the 2nd Battalion headquarters. This push coincided with the revival of an abandoned enemy tank on the beach that knocked out dozens of troops arriving on LVTs. Nevertheless, by late afternoon, all three battalions of the regiment managed to advance farther and create a defensive line. Darkness brought about a determined enemy banzai attack that smashed into the 6th Marine line and bitter fighting ensued through the early morning hours of the 16th that cost the Japanese 700 dead with no breach in the Marine lines. The rest of the day was spent consolidating their positions and preparing for the advance through Susupe’s Marshes the following morning.
At 7:30 AM, Private First Class Kind trailed behind his 2nd Battalion as they reached the O-2 line by late afternoon and began aggressive patrolling for the next few days. On the 26th, the division attacked Tipo Pale’s sheer cliffs and hills. The first true resistance was on its eastern slopes but were eventually cleared and the regiment dug in for the night on the 24th. The rest of the area however caused a great deal of trouble for Private First Class Kind and his regiment, and it was decided to bypass the pocket of enemy defenders and attack the Tipo Pale strongpoint. This particular section killed and wounded a large number of Marines, mostly in Kind’s 2nd battalion, due to elaborate cave systems and an exposed canefield, until it was secured by June 28th. The days of July 1st and 2nd saw the greatest gains in the area, and with Japanese resistance decreasing, the Marines moved towards Tanapag Harbor where they were eventually relieved and placed in reserve. After the massive enemy banzai charge at dawn of July 7th that effectively led to the defeat of the remaining Japanese defenders on Saipan, the island was declared secure the very next day. The 6th Marines remained on Sapian to root out enemy stragglers until the 24th, when they sailed to the neighboring island of Tinian.
Tinian
The seizure of Tinian was already underway by the time Private First Class Kind and his battalion landed at White Beach 2 by 7:30 PM and assembled in division reserve around 700 yards inland. The rest of the regiment completed landing by the next day and moved into positions to the right of the 2nd Marines to attack towards the south at 1:00 PM. The advance was extremely successful with only two killed, the complete opposite of what they had experienced at Sapian. The attack resumed on the 27th for the O-4 line and for the next few days advanced to O-8A, a cliff and plateau above. Here, the Marines would face rifle and machine gun fire as elements succeeded in reaching the top by nightfall on the 31st. After a banzai attack was repulsed during the night, the enemy retired from the plateau and Marine units seized it without hesitation. The next area to fall was Marpo Point along the coast, symbolizing the complete seizure of Tinian which was announced at 6:55 PM on August 1st, 1944.
Ironically, there were still a good amount of enemy troops on the island that needed to be mopped up, and around 200 of them attacked at daybreak of the 2nd. The masses of Japanese struck directly into the command post of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines’ headquarters and the rear of Private First Class Kind’s headquarters company. The attack continued until sunrise with the enemy hurling grenades and engaging the Marines in hand to hand combat. Private First Class Kind was struck in the right leg by shrapnel before the attack was repulsed. He was evacuated with many others to the 2nd Marine Division hospital on Sapian for treatment, and rejoined his company there on August 11th.
Occupation
The 6th Marines now had time to rest, during which Kind transferred to their Headquarters and Service Company on September 10th with the new job of an administrative clerk. When elements of the 2nd Marine Division set out to Okinawa to conduct feint landings in support of its invasion, he remained on Saipan as part of the regiment’s rear echelon, and later joined the 2nd Division’s Headquarters Battalion in July of 1945. The seizure of Okinawa was one of the last nails in the coffin for Japan, who surrendered on September 2nd, 1945, ending World War Two. Private First Class Kind immediately boarded the USS Wayne and sailed to Nagasaki, Japan, arriving on September 23rd for occupation duties. Stepping foot off the ship, he saw the unparalleled carnage of the atomic bomb dropped there just a few weeks prior. His time in Japan led to a promotion to Corporal before beginning the long journey back to the states at the end of November.
Allan was discharged from the Marine Corps on January 26th, 1946 and returned home to his parents and siblings in Minnesota. Nothing is known about his civilian life, other than he married Vivian Grande in 1950 and had five children before moving to Oregon. Allan passed away on July 25th, 2001 and is buried at Fir Lawn Memorial Park in Oregon.
Tarawa
After a brief stop in Efate, New Hebrides, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines arrived offshore Tarawa on November 20th. Naval gunfire began pounding away at the small island’s defenders before the first waves began making their way to the beaches by 9:00 AM. The Japanese had unfortunately not been terribly affected by the bombardment and immediately inflicted serious casualties on the Marines landing throughout the entire day. As the reserve, Private Kind’s 6th Marines could only watch from their transport ships as their comrades struggled to hold the beachhead under overwhelming odds. By nightfall, the 2nd Marine Division clung to a small defensive perimeter spanning just the landing zones; if the Japanese launched an attack during the night, the Marines would have nowhere to go but the sea. An attack never materialized to the relief of all, and the Marines resumed the deadly fighting to secure Tarawa. The 6th Marines now began preparations to land as reinforcements, with Private Kind and the 2nd Battalion ordered to Bairiki, the next island to the east of Betio. As their landing crafts waited to land, machine gun fire from their objective harassed them. Naval gunfire, aerial bombardment, and strafing runs were called in to cover the landing with extremely favorable results. The sole Japanese pillbox on the island happened to contain a gasoline can which was struck by a .50 caliber bullet and burned all 15 enemy soldiers. Private Kind and his battalion then landed at Bairiki at 4:55 PM against no resistance. Meanwhile, Marine units on the main island were able to push off the beach and advance to the south shore. The Marines were finally winning.
On the 3rd day, elements of the 10th Marines landed on Bairiki to begin fire missions in support of the Marine advances during the day which were overwhelmingly successful in rooting out the remaining Japanese. Finally, on November 23rd, Private Kind and the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines landed on Tarawa at Green Beach in the afternoon and bivouacked for the day, just a few hours before Tarawa was officially declared secure. Due to his battalion suffering the least casualties out of any unit involved, they were assigned the mission of clearing the rest of the atoll from enemy forces. The only true resistance encountered was on the northwestern island of Buariki on the 26th, where Private Kind was locked in bitter, close range combat for several hours. 32 Marines were killed while accounting for 175 enemy dead. After remaining on Tarawa for a few more weeks, they boarded the USS Prince Georges on January 8th, 1944 and rejoined the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Tarawa, Hawaii by the 20th. Kind, now a Private First Class, transferred to the Headquarters Company of his battalion after Company H was disbanded at the end of the month. It would not be long until the division set out for the invasion of the Mariana Islands.
Saipan
After gaining replacements and completing training, the 6th Marines boarded LST 451 on May 14th and set sail to Saipan, undergoing amphibious exercises on the way. The island had been constantly bombarded since June 11th, so no element of surprise existed. On the 15th, the attack began. The assault elements of the 6th Marines hit the beach under heavy fire at 8:43 AM, with Private First Class Kind’s 2nd Battalion accidentally landing at Red 1, 400 yards north of their assigned area. A testament to the ferocity of Japanese fire, all four assault battalion commanders became casualties during the first few hours, and the 6th Marines could only open 100 yards of beachhead. To make matters worse, a group of 25 enemy soldiers charged down the beach from the north and struck the regimental command post and the 2nd Battalion headquarters. This push coincided with the revival of an abandoned enemy tank on the beach that knocked out dozens of troops arriving on LVTs. Nevertheless, by late afternoon, all three battalions of the regiment managed to advance farther and create a defensive line. Darkness brought about a determined enemy banzai attack that smashed into the 6th Marine line and bitter fighting ensued through the early morning hours of the 16th that cost the Japanese 700 dead with no breach in the Marine lines. The rest of the day was spent consolidating their positions and preparing for the advance through Susupe’s Marshes the following morning.
At 7:30 AM, Private First Class Kind trailed behind his 2nd Battalion as they reached the O-2 line by late afternoon and began aggressive patrolling for the next few days. On the 26th, the division attacked Tipo Pale’s sheer cliffs and hills. The first true resistance was on its eastern slopes but were eventually cleared and the regiment dug in for the night on the 24th. The rest of the area however caused a great deal of trouble for Private First Class Kind and his regiment, and it was decided to bypass the pocket of enemy defenders and attack the Tipo Pale strongpoint. This particular section killed and wounded a large number of Marines, mostly in Kind’s 2nd battalion, due to elaborate cave systems and an exposed canefield, until it was secured by June 28th. The days of July 1st and 2nd saw the greatest gains in the area, and with Japanese resistance decreasing, the Marines moved towards Tanapag Harbor where they were eventually relieved and placed in reserve. After the massive enemy banzai charge at dawn of July 7th that effectively led to the defeat of the remaining Japanese defenders on Saipan, the island was declared secure the very next day. The 6th Marines remained on Sapian to root out enemy stragglers until the 24th, when they sailed to the neighboring island of Tinian.
Tinian
The seizure of Tinian was already underway by the time Private First Class Kind and his battalion landed at White Beach 2 by 7:30 PM and assembled in division reserve around 700 yards inland. The rest of the regiment completed landing by the next day and moved into positions to the right of the 2nd Marines to attack towards the south at 1:00 PM. The advance was extremely successful with only two killed, the complete opposite of what they had experienced at Sapian. The attack resumed on the 27th for the O-4 line and for the next few days advanced to O-8A, a cliff and plateau above. Here, the Marines would face rifle and machine gun fire as elements succeeded in reaching the top by nightfall on the 31st. After a banzai attack was repulsed during the night, the enemy retired from the plateau and Marine units seized it without hesitation. The next area to fall was Marpo Point along the coast, symbolizing the complete seizure of Tinian which was announced at 6:55 PM on August 1st, 1944.
Ironically, there were still a good amount of enemy troops on the island that needed to be mopped up, and around 200 of them attacked at daybreak of the 2nd. The masses of Japanese struck directly into the command post of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines’ headquarters and the rear of Private First Class Kind’s headquarters company. The attack continued until sunrise with the enemy hurling grenades and engaging the Marines in hand to hand combat. Private First Class Kind was struck in the right leg by shrapnel before the attack was repulsed. He was evacuated with many others to the 2nd Marine Division hospital on Sapian for treatment, and rejoined his company there on August 11th.
Occupation
The 6th Marines now had time to rest, during which Kind transferred to their Headquarters and Service Company on September 10th with the new job of an administrative clerk. When elements of the 2nd Marine Division set out to Okinawa to conduct feint landings in support of its invasion, he remained on Saipan as part of the regiment’s rear echelon, and later joined the 2nd Division’s Headquarters Battalion in July of 1945. The seizure of Okinawa was one of the last nails in the coffin for Japan, who surrendered on September 2nd, 1945, ending World War Two. Private First Class Kind immediately boarded the USS Wayne and sailed to Nagasaki, Japan, arriving on September 23rd for occupation duties. Stepping foot off the ship, he saw the unparalleled carnage of the atomic bomb dropped there just a few weeks prior. His time in Japan led to a promotion to Corporal before beginning the long journey back to the states at the end of November.
Allan was discharged from the Marine Corps on January 26th, 1946 and returned home to his parents and siblings in Minnesota. Nothing is known about his civilian life, other than he married Vivian Grande in 1950 and had five children before moving to Oregon. Allan passed away on July 25th, 2001 and is buried at Fir Lawn Memorial Park in Oregon.