Remembering Iwo Jima, remembering Jerry

Feb 19 is a special day in US history. It was the day that the Battle of Iwo Jima started in 1945. The flag raising on Mt Suribachi is quite well known. That the battle fought for many days after the flag raising is less so. Jerry landed on Iwo Jima and was among the lucky ones to walk off in March. It may not be a coincidence that Jerry left his world on Feb 19, 2012.

Jerry's coffin at the funeral home in 2012

You can listen to Jerry tell of his work in the Joint Assault Signal Company
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2007/09/jerry-story-joint-assault-signal.html

• If you see a veteran, thank them for their service.
• If you find a World War II veteran, listen to a story if they'll tell it. We are all losing too many of those these days.

This was originally posted on Jerry's Story in 2014

http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2014/02/remembering-iwo-jima-remembering-jerry.html

Remembering Feb 19

I did get a little emotional in this recording, it came up and I couldn't hold it off. One item I did leave out is that while Dad/Jerry landed on on Iwo Jima Feb 19th, it was also the day he left us 4 years ago.




Jerry's Story can be found here   http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/

remembering Feb 19th and the landing on Iwo Jima

Story Corps can be found online here  https://storycorps.org/

Remembering

Feb 19th is a significant day.

Jerry landed on Iwo Jima in 1945.

Jerry left this world in 2012.

I made some pork pies this weekend for dinner tonight. My mother's recipe of course...

home made pork pie

• If you see a veteran today, thank them for their service...
• If the veteran you see happens to be from WWII, listen to one of their stories (if they'll talk). There are so few of them around now.

Other links of remembering today
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/remember-today.html

http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2014/02/remembering-iwo-jima-remembering-jerry.html

Digging into the archives

Already October hence Christmas must be around the corner, right?

Not really attempting to rush it but wanted to share these priceless photos from the archives that my sister found and shared with us. Photos mostly of my mother as she was growing up. Most of which I don't recall ever seeing before.

This of Dad and I at Christmas 1954

Jerry and Stephen

This of Mother and I at the same time

Rita and Stephen

Sunny day, remembering the fun

It was Dad's birthday yesterday. I posted some fun photos on his page and stopped by the cemetery on the way to work. It was a beautiful sunny morning.

Jerry and Rita

I'll captured a brief video with a 360 graveside view to share



Enjoy!

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is remembering those who serve and have served on our behalf.

Jerry's flag

Thanks Dad!


Visit Jerry's Story for a video from Channel 10 on the recent Honor Flight from RI

1st Anniversary

Time does fly.

One year ago today, Dad (Gerald Sherlock) left us to rejoin Mom (Rita) and dance together again. I am sure they are having a heck of time catching up on things.

I went back to quietpoet.com, to review my "visiting Dad" series of sherku. Only a minor modification to one was required (to settle the syllables better on the lines.) The sense and sentiment of the time I think I captured.

Those moments came back to me. I know where I was. I see and hear what was around me. Then but as if I was back there, as if it was all real again.

And yet, it is today, a year later.

Join me if you will.
Spend a few moments visiting with Dad.

The collection can be found here
http://www.quietpoet.com/2012/02/collection-visiting-dad.html



Jerry's Story has two special notes today
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2013/02/1st-anniversary.html

Memorial Day - 2012

Honor those who have served on this day!

Mark it well

The grave marker for Dad is now in place. Something about its bronzeness is so final.



I still have the urge to call Dad. Find out what's happening, let him know of an update. I'm not sure how long these feeling will last. On the one hand, it is eerie. On the other, it is a good reminder of what I need to focus on. Today is important. What can I do to be better, make things better today.

A good college friend of mine used to say, "tell me a story Steve" The story is continuing to develop. New pages (and sometimes chapters) daily.

Regular readers here can follow my story. My father's story will continue to be told here
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/

What is your story?

What will your marker say?

Preparation

The preparation is behind us (mostly), now comes the time. The wake for Dad is this evening with the funeral on Saturday morning. Arrangements made and finalized with the collaboration and cooperation of my brothers and sisters. Many hands made light work.

The family will line up to greet all that come to pay their last respects. Hopefully, the names will come to us as we recognize the faces. There'll be plenty of conversations as we all catch up on this or that since we last met.

And we'll plan for the photo party. A get together with some of our aunts and uncles to help identify who is who is some of the photos we found in the archives.

The photos below were easy to identify!


Jerry with Allison back in the day




Jerry with Carolyn back in the day




Jerry with a bunch of the little ones at the time




Jerry with his grandchildren no longer "little ones"

Gerald (Jerry) Sherlock

Sherlock, Gerald F. 86, passed away Sunday, February 19 after fighting the good fight against his illnesses. He was the husband of the late Rita C. (Joyal) Sherlock who passed away in November 1983.

Gerald was born and lived most of his life in Pawtucket. Jerry graduated from St. Raphael Academy in 1943, joined the US Marines, and served in the Pacific Theater of WW II where he fought in the battles of Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima.

He was a cost accountant working for many years at Washburn Wire Co, then Golden Eye Seafood and the Ronci Company before retiring. He was active in the parents’ associations for St Joseph’s School and St Raphael Academy. He also served one year as the RI State Chairman of the United Way and in leadership positions with the United Steelworkers and AFL-CIO. A long-time communicant of St. Joseph Parish (Pawtucket) he served some time as Parish Council President.

He leaves six children: Stephen Sherlock of Franklin, MA; Robert Sherlock of Barrington, IL; Michael Sherlock of Westmont, NJ; Eileen Harriman of Saco, ME; Joan Sherlock Moody of Cranston and Patricia Palardy of Smithfield; 13 grandchildren; a brother, Henry Sherlock of Providence and three sisters, Martina Higgins of Bristol, Angela Brousseau of South Kingston, and Helene Mainor of North Kingston. Pre-deceased by siblings Frances Campbell, Jack, Edward, and Paul Sherlock

Funeral Saturday at 8:00 AM from the ANDERSON-WINFIELD Funeral Home, Route 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville. Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00 AM in St Michael’s Church, 80 Farnum Pike, Smithfield. Burial with military honors in Notre Dame Cemetery, Pawtucket.

Donations in memory of Gerald can be made to Honor Flight at http://www.honorflight.org/ Honor Flight works to transport America's veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices For directions and condolences visit www.andersonwinfield.net

There will be pictures

When my father left us on Sunday evening, it was not a surprise. Unfortunately, we had been preparing for this for some time. He has had a series of trials and tribulations with his health over the years and more so recently. Suffice to say, he kept his "Semper Fi" spirit to the end.

And while we have been this road before, recall that mother passed away in 1983, the experience has helped us prepare but the actuality of it is still hard. I find myself fortunate to have a large support structure. Starting with my immediate family (Dolores, Allison, Carolyn - Brad and Dan), and my two brothers and three sisters. Extending the circle to aunts and uncles and cousins, the number is amazing!

And this is all before we get to the circle of friends, co-workers, those local and those from around the world, etc.

The support from all of you has been very helpful. Thank you!





Dad and I way back in the day at Slater Park in Pawtucket.

Feb 19, 1945

I had a glorious morning yesterday, meeting with Michelle Clay and Anne Marie Bellavance at the Franklin Food Pantry. Michelle has volunteered to pull together a cook book of healthy recipes for the Food Pantry. She is enjoying the exercise, trying new recipes, exploring how to best do this for the Food Pantry. She wrote up her version of our meeting yesterday. While she was giddy, I am still dancing with joy!

Frank Moody, my brother-in-law, took Dad to lunch with a bunch of Frank's police friends. Many of them are Marines like Dad and yesterday was not just a Saturday lunch, yesterday was also the 66th anniversary of the landing on Iwo Jima. Frank wrote about the lunch and conversation to share Jerry's Story, in particular:

Yesterday was typical with Matt Wolf of INFORCE tactical lights showing A US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES SERGEANT a new tactical light. Jerry was duly impressed. He listened with rapt attention. I asked him what kind of light he used hunting in the caves on Iwo?

"oh sunlight.". 

Followed by the trade mark grin and laugh. The SF sergeant who has been back and forth to Iraq and A-Stan on numerous expeditions gave me a knowing look. It is the glance and acknowledgement of reverence from one professional to another about Jerry and those guys like him. They are described as Rock Stars. Truly.

I consider myself so lucky!

Iwo Jima Survivors - 65th Anniversary

My brother-in-law Frank and I had the honor and privilege to take Dad to the 65th Anniversary dinner for the Iwo Jima Survivors Association in Brandford, CT on Sunday. I'll post additional pictures and comments on Jerry's Story but I must say that it really was a pleasure to see Dad engaged in conversation with a fellow 1st JASCO member.

A constant comment from all who participated was that they were thankful to be there. I'll second that!

  Semper Fi!

WPRI-TV Street Stories - features Jerry's Story

The video segment featuring my father's oral history was broadcast on WPRI-TV, Channel 12 in Providence, RI this evening as planned. Other than footage of D-Day in Europe instead of Saipan, Tinian, or Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theater where Jerry did land, the story is concise and to the point.



Walt, Johnny, thank you for sharing this story.

For additional posts on my father's oral history please visit Jerry's Story

Enjoy!

Remember Iwo Jima

Where were you on Feb 19th?

Can you recall without looking at your calendar?

65 years ago, my father - then a 19 year old US Marine, had landed on the black volcanic shores of Iwo Jima on February 19th, 1945. Fierce fighting took place above and below ground on that island until March 26th.

On or about March 26th, yes, 65 years ago today, Jerry made his way to the beach to await a landing craft to board, to take him back to the safety of a ship, and then back to Hawaii. Solid food, shower, clean clothes for the first time since Feb 19th. Mission accomplished.

From Jerry's Story

Jerry is the one circled.

Jerry talked about his time in the Pacific at the VA Home in Bristol, RI on Thursday. He spoke without notes. He spoke deliberately and in detail. I complimented him on it after and he said "I left out a few stories". One wouldn't have noticed.

You can view that talk on Jerry's Story here.

And when you think back on what you were doing on February 19th.
Okay, you can go look at your calendar.

And when you reflect on all that you did in the time since then, think of the men who fought on Iwo Jima (in particular as this is their time for remembering) and those who fought elsewhere, and thank a veteran for their service.

The one line I was expecting to hear from Dad at the VA Home, I actually was surprised to not hear Thursday. Whenever he has talked about his time there, and until recently - this was not often, he would usually close with: "The real heroes did not come home."

"The real heroes did not come back"

On this day 65 years ago, the assault on Iwo Jima started. The battle lasted 35 days. Some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Theater took place before it ended.

Jerry was part of the 1st Joint Assault Signal Company, 4th Marine Division that went ashore in the Blue 1 sector. He was also one of the lucky ones who walked off the island.

He has told us many times, "The real heroes did not come back".

On this day and for the next 35, let's remember all who served in the Pacific Theater, in particular those who served on Iwo Jima.

If you would like to know more about Iwo Jima, the book by James Bradley "Flag of our Fathers" is well worth the reading time. There are two movies by directed by Clint Eastwood, one based upon the book and one from the Japanese point of view that deliver a credible rendition of the battle. Jerry said, "it was very much like that." Flag of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima

Jerry talked about Tinian and the recovery on Hawaii before going to Iwo Jima in this audio

Jerry clarifies his statements about life in the foxhole in this audio

Jerry talks about the 1st Joint Assault Signal Company

This was originally posted to Jerry's Story, my blog to record the oral history of my father and our family.

Military honors for Jean H Joyal

I originally posted these on Jerry's Story but in case you are interested you can view these:

• slide show - military honors for Jean H Joyal
• Military Honors for Jean H Joyal
• Patriot Guard Rider's bikes lined up

Over 60 flags from the Patriot Guard Riders in Westbrook CT

Over 60 flags from the Patriot Guard Riders in Westbrook CT, originally uploaded by shersteve.

I drove Dad down to Westbrook, CT to participate in the flag ceremony honoring Jean H Joyal. Jean was one of my mother's brothers. He passed away February 24, 2009.

Albert Joyal coordinated this tribute to his brother. The Westbrook Honor Guard performed the flag ceremony, gun salute, and taps with the full military protocol. They were surrounded by over 60 flags from the Patriot Guard Riders.

It was an impressive and moving ceremony.

Additional photos from the event are now posted on Jerry's Story, You can find them with these links:

• slide show - military honors for Jean H Joyal
• Military Honors for Jean H Joyal
• Patriot Guard Rider's bikes lined up

Lunch with Dad at Pepino's in Lincoln RI

- Posted using Mobypicture.com