MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, provided transportation support for the 70th Iwo Reunion of Honor ceremony in Iwo To, formally known as Iwo Jima, March 21, 2015.
VMGR-152 provided transportation for Marines, VIPs and vehicles to help bring together the reunion this year.
“VMGR-152 supports the Reunion of Honor every year,” said Capt. Charles Casey, an aircraft commander with VMGR-152. “Being a (III Marine Expeditionary Force) asset stationed in MCAS Iwakuni has us doing things that the Air Force would usually do for us.”
Usually, VMGR-152 does refueling or low flying air drop missions, but being stationed in the pacific, transport missions like this are very common.
Every year there are less and less veterans from the battle of Iwo Jima still alive to attend the reunion.
“It’s a great honor to be involved in the anniversary on Iwo Jima,” said Casey. “Unfortunately, because of when the battle was fought, we won’t be able to celebrate this much longer so it’s important that we make it the best we can out of respect for these veterans.”
Service members and civilians who supported the reunion got a chance to socialize with the veterans on Mount Suribachi, where five Marines and a sailor raised the American Flag at the battle in Iwo To during World War II.
“Being a Lockheed KC-130J Hercules aircraft pilot, we get to travel all over the world,” said Casey. “Often times we just land at the airport, look out the window and see what’s going on, and then we take off again. I thought that’s what was going to happen coming out here to Iwo Jima but then I found out we were staying overnight and spending some time on the island made it that much sweeter.”
VMGR-152 play a vital role in support of the reunion according to Cpl. Eli Wallace, a crew master with VMGR-152.
“Without us these veterans might not have had the chance to reunite like this,” said Wallace.
The Reunion of Honor is a chance for both American and Japanese veterans to come back to a historical battle area and socialize with each other.
“I’m so thankful for peace… That we can gather on this hill with who were once called an enemy. They were never an enemy to me, I didn’t even know who they were, I was just defending myself and my country,” said Hershel W. Williams, 91, a retired chief warrant officer four in the Marine Corps.