Wilfred Hanson always admired the Marine Corps, and figured if he had to go to war, he wanted to go with a group of men he respected. When he went to enlist in 1943, he was told that Duluth, Minnesota had already taken their quota for the Marines. A sergeant major, Jimmy Christiansen [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling], told him to go to where draftees were being shipped out to Fort Snelling [Annotator's Note: in Hennepin County, Minnesota] and speak to a first sergeant there. He told Hanson to wait, which he did, but after a while needed to go to the restroom. As soon as he came back, the first sergeant told him if he could catch a departing truck, he would be in the Marine Corps. Hanson began chasing after the truck in his full suit and tie, helped up by the men aboard. During the swearing in, it was realized that there was an extra man, and it was threatened to send the person who was not supposed to be there, Hanson, to Naval prison. He told the Sergeant what had happened. He explained to a lieutenant colonel that if he was going to give his life for his country, he wanted to die with an outfit that he respected, and that was the Marine Corps. It was decided to assign Hanson an 800 number [Annotator's Note: military service number], so it would look like he was drafted. Once overseas, he had to live with being seen as a draftee, and not a regular Marine.

On Pavuvu Island [Annotator's Note: Pavuvu Island, Solomon Islands], a personnel officer told Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] that his contract had been torn up, resulting in him having to do a full four years in the Corps, as the point system [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] did not apply to him. Regular Marines were being sent home, but not him. Later, in China, he got frustrated and asked why he could not go home. He was sent to New Britain [Annotator's Note: New Britain, Papua New Guinea], where MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] wanted to use the whole 1st Marine Division for the invasion and send in the Army afterward so he could claim the glory, which is what MacArthur was all about. Hanson had to cross a river there, losing his weapon while swimming and becoming separated from his company. He was told not to go into the jungle while on patrol. They had taken some Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese], sick with dysentery [Annotator's Note: infection of the intestines], onto their LCM [Annotator's Note: landing craft mechanized, designed for carrying vehicles] and back to New Britain. Army MPs [Annotator's Note: military police] took the prisoner, hoping to get information from him about Rabaul [Annotator's Note: Rabaul, Eastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea]. Lieutenant Sellers [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] called for Swede [Annotator's Note: Hanson's nickname] and asked if he would go back to the States for OCS [Annotator's Note: Officer Candidates School]. He immediately refused, because he liked the men he was serving with and knew he was safe with them. He knew that second lieutenants did not last long and did not know where he would be sent. He was the only man in the company recommended for OCS, despite just being a private.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was shipped overseas in wintertime, landing at New Britain [Annotator's Note: New Britain campaign at New Britain, New Guinea, 15 December 1943 to 21 August 1945] around Christmastime [Annotator's Note: December 1943] after stops in the Solomons [Annotator's Note: Solomon Islands, Oceania] from Caledonia [Annotator's Note: New Caledonia, Oceania] and Brisbane, Australia. In New Britain, his unit was under the Army and were told that the Army defense was coming into New Britain, and they would be going to the Gilbert Islands [Annotator's Note: now Republic of Kiribati, Oceania] which was beautiful. Pavuvu [Annotator's Note: Pavuvu Island, Solomon Islands] was a different story. There was excessive rainfall, and all of their equipment floated away. They received more training, including semaphore, signaling with flags, and began working on a battalion mess hall. At that time they had nothing to eat but coconuts, which gave them all dysentery [Annotator's Note: infection of the intestines]. They eventually received small amounts of food. Hanson was assigned to the galley, giving out just bits of pineapple to the troops. He had gotten sick eating pineapple, so gave his portion to friends which was considered disobeying an order. His punishment was to dig a trench around the mess hall. They were informed that there were Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] on a nearby island. Hanson was sent over with three other men around Thanksgiving [Annotator's Note: November 1944]. Hanson asked if they could be supplied with Thanksgiving meals, which were dropped off in thermoses in the water which they had to go get. Once they finished the detail there, they began preparing for Peleliu [Annotator's Note: Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau].

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was assigned as an intelligence scout for Company K [Annotator's Note: preparing for the Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau], and was informed that the Navy would bombard the island for 30 days, then the Air Force would go in and bomb for another 30 to 60 days. There should be nothing remaining on the island by the time troops landed. They went in on LSTs [Annotator's Note: Landing Ship, Tank]. They held religious services while getting ready to land and painted their faces. Later, a hospitalized Marine expressed to Hanson that he felt bad for being awarded the Purple Heart [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is an award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] without even landing, but he had indeed been part of the invasion. Hanson was able to remind him what actually happened. The face-painting was an order. The temperatures on Peleliu could reach 115 to 120 degrees. While circling around in an LVT [Annotator's Note: Landing Vehicle, Tracked or LVT; also referred to as amtrack or alligator] off the island, MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] gave a speech, not mentioning the Marines at all, only focusing on what the Navy would do. When heading into the beach, they hit a coral reef. The Japanese knew where the reef was and knew to aim there. Hanson and Lieutenant Sellars [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] lifted their heads up to see how close they were. They were 30 yards from the beach, taking rifle and machine gun fire. A shell nearly grazed the top of Sellars' helmet, making Hanson laugh. Being scared in wartime makes you come down with fear or laugh. When they finally landed, the men began exiting from the left side. Hanson heard men yelling in pain, so he went over the right side. He hid behind a concrete pillar and got shot in the buttocks. Chesty Puller [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller] and his aide told Hanson to pull himself up because a machine gunner had him in his sights. A Marine machine gun crew soon arrived and told Hanson to run. He came across a wounded man in the water, who did not want to move because the warm water was soothing. Hanson tried to lift him up but was unable to as the man had been run over by a tank at his belt line. He knew he was not going to make it. Hanson laid down by him to try to cheer him up. They talked, and Hanson laid his hand on the man saying, "the Lord be with you." The man kept repeating "Thank you, sir" as Hanson ran.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] ran to the beach [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau]. He saw Chesty Puller [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller], who told him to "give her hell, Marine". Hanson went into the CP [Annotator's Note: command post]. Captain Hunt [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain George P. Hunt], Lieutenants Sellars [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] and Stanbull [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] brought a mortar man in, who said he felt like he had steel in his leg. Hanson found a bullet hole and patched him up. A radioman fell dead. Captain Hunt took Swede [Annotator's Note: Hanson's nickname] and a few others to the front. They passed a mountain that everyone knew and feared. Swede was ordered to go back and get a Sherman [Annotator's Note: M4 Sherman medium tank], when machine gun fire hit at his feet. He ran but could not find a tank anywhere. He finally came across a tank on the beach and told the crew Captain Hunt needed them. They said they were unable to get up the coral slope. There was also a pillbox [Annotator's Note: type of blockhouse, or concrete, reinforced, dug-in guard post, normally equipped with slits for firing guns] that they needed to take out. The tank fired, hit a mine [Annotator's Note: stationary explosive device triggered by physical contact], and lost its track. It was now unable to go where Hunt needed them. When Hanson walked over the ridge, he saw many dead Marines, all facing the enemy. He recognized some of them, dropped to his knees, took off his helmet, and said a prayer. He walked back to the front line with his helmet in his hand, not caring if he got hit.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] heard a man calling out to him [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau]. It was a machine gunner who had been part of the team that took out the Japanese machine gun that had fired on Hanson while landing on the beach. Hanson found a corpsman [Annotator's Note: enlisted medical specialist in the US Navy who may also serve in the US Marine Corps] named Howard [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling], who was out of supplies. Lieutenant Willis [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] gave Howard an M1 rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. Hanson decided to burn his maps and notebooks so the Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] would not get them. An Army Duck [Annotator's Note: DUKW; six-wheel-drive amphibious truck; also known as a Duck] came up, lost. Hanson got a box of grenades from it. Corporal Anderson [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] was using a Nambu machine gun [Annotator's Note: Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun or Taisho 14] as it was the only automatic weapon that they had that was functioning and for which they had ammunition. Hanson could hear the Japanese, and began throwing hand grenades, expecting to hear the Nambu being fired as well but did not. It was around ten o'clock at night, and a star shell [Annotator's Note: artillery used to illuminate the battlefield] was sent up. Hanson saw a Japanese soldier, firing at him with an M1. He hit the ground and mortar rounds started falling around him. He was hit by shrapnel in his arm, cutting his main artery. The corpsman had been killed. Hanson knew it would do no good to call for a corpsman and continued throwing hand grenades. He laid awake all night, on his own, sporadically throwing grenades. Early the next morning, Captain Hunt [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain George P. Hunt] arrived. Hunt informed Hanson that there must have been around 400 dead Japanese.

Hunt [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain George P. Hunt] saw Wilfred Hanson's [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] arm injury, and told him to go to sick bay [Annotator's Note: Hanson had been hit during the Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau]. Hunt thought Hanson had gangrene [Annotator's Note: tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply]. Hanson did not know how he was going to get there as there were Japanese everywhere. He was asked to take two other injured Marines with him, despite his injury. He thought he might be able to do it by carrying them through the salt water where they would float. Hanson would be awarded the Silver Star [Annotator's Note: the Silver Star Medal is the third-highest award a United States service member can receive for a heroic or meritorious deed performed in a conflict with an armed enemy] for his actions with the grenades the night before [Annotator's Note: this combat is described in Segment 06 - Fierce Combat on Peleliu, of this interview series]. Hanson pulled them through the water, with Japanese all around. He warned them not to swallow any salt water, and not to breathe too heavily. He got within 25 feet of the aid station and heard them yell that there were Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] in the water, thinking Hanson and the two men were the enemy. Hanson began singing the Marine Corps Hymn [Annotator's Note: Marines' Hymn, adopted in 1929, is the oldest official song in the United States Armed Forces] as loudly as he could. A doctor recognized him as a Marine, and a few men came to help Hanson onto the beach. The doctor told him he would have to leave on an LCVP [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP; also known as the Higgins boat], but Hanson said he had to go and report to the command post to let them know what a desperate situation K Company was in. They had only 20 men, half of whom were wounded and basically out of ammunition. Hanson was taken off Peleliu on an LCVP. He arrived at a Seabee [Annotator's Note: members of US naval construction battalions] camp in the Admiralty Islands [Annotator's Note: Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea]. He had not had food since breakfast and had had no water. He had given Captain Hunt his two canteens, rifle and cartridge belt before he left. A superior asked if anyone was from Superior, Wisconsin and Hanson asked if Duluth [Annotator's Note: Duluth, Minnesota – his hometown] was close enough. He gave Hanson some cigarettes, cigars, matches, a candy bar, and an ice cold can of beer. He was not a beer drinker but cracked it open and it was absolutely delicious. He immediately fell asleep. He found out later that the man was engaged to Hanson's first cousin. He was then shipped to a hospital on Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands]. Hanson asked the doctor when he would be able to go back to his outfit. The doctor told him he would not be going back but would be shipped back to the United States. Hanson said no, he had to get back to his outfit, if for no other reason, than to find out who made it, knowing there were not very many. The doctor could not understand why he would want to go back into the situation in which he had just been injured rather than to the safety of home.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was shipped to Pavuvu [Annotator's Note: Pavuvu Island, Solomon Islands after being wounded during the Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau]. Pavuvu's beach was always full of Marines because the water was a good temperature and was clear. Robert Hunter [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling], who had been on the Nambu machine gun [Annotator's Note: Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun or Taisho 14. Hanson describes this in Segment 06 - Fierce Combat on Peleliu, of this interview series], was there on the beach. He told Hanson that he had saved his life. Captain Hunt [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain George P. Hunt] was also at Pavuvu, thanked Hanson, and asked about his strategy [Annotator's Note: during an action on Peleliu that Hanson describes in Segment 06 as well] for a book he was writing entitled, "Coral Comes High." Hanson asked if he had really put him in for the Silver Star [Annotator's Note: the third-highest award a United States service member can receive for a heroic or meritorious deed performed in a conflict with an armed enemy for his actions], to which Hunt responded he had put all the paperwork in, as well as a second medal for his transporting two Marines to an aid station, while he himself was injured. Hanson was happy to return back to Pavuvu.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was sent to Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, 1 April to 22 June 1945 at Okinawa, Japan], where he was hit by a hand grenade while inside a cave system. Inside these caves, the Japanese had places to keep horses, storerooms, railroad tracks, and more. There were closed rooms where the soldiers could sleep. The cave had been hit numerous times and while Hanson was inside, water was entering from above. He was armed with a Tommy gun [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun]. He took an officer's pistol and was prepared to fire at the next man who turned the corner, who turned out to be a Marine. There was brush blocking the exit from the cave, so he yelled for help. A few days later the Japs [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] surrendered. A 47 [Annotator's Note: Japanese Type 1, 47mm anti-tank gun] started firing at Hanson. He caught shrapnel in his shoe and wanted to take it home as a souvenir. Okinawa was a fierce battle. A mine [Annotator's Note: stationary explosive device triggered by physical contact] that was intended for ships had floated onto shore. It was ordered destroyed which created a large explosion. There were also Army [Annotator's Note: US Army soldiers] on Okinawa. Hanson was told to cross a minefield [Annotator's Note: areas where mines are buried or under the water], using a bayonet to poke the ground and then going back the way he went. He was happy to still be alive [Annotator's Note: Hanson laughs].

Captain Hunt [Annotator's Note: US Marine Corps Captain George P. Hunt] was no longer in command of K Company [Annotator's Note: Company K, 3rd Battalion,1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] on Okinawa [Annotator's Note: during the Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, 1 April to 22 June 1945 at Okinawa, Japan]. He was replaced by Sellars [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling]. Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K] landed on Okinawa on 1 April 1945, Easter Sunday, and was there for the entire battle. He was still on Okinawa when he learned about the bomb [Annotator's Note: nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, 6 August 1945]. It scared him. His unit went to the Motobu Peninsula, where the Okinawans sacrificed virgin girls by having them jump off the cliff. Hanson asked for liberty [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] while on Okinawa. He saw a Duck [Annotator's Note: DUKW; six-wheel-drive amphibious truck; also known as a Duck]. Hanson and his friends boarded it without the driver knowing. They climbed up the cargo nets of a ship, and got topside, obviously not belonging because of their uniforms differing from Army uniforms. They were approached by an Army man who told them to follow him down to a wardroom and asked what they wanted to eat. They ate well, then the man gave them whiskey and cigars and took them to shore. At one point while on Okinawa, they did not have food for three days. The supply drops kept missing their target. Sellars finally took Hanson and a few men to an Army dump and asked for food, but they refused. Sellars pulled out his gun and sent for ten more men. They loaded up on K-rations [Annotator's Note: individual daily combat food ration consisting of three boxed meals]. Hanson later asked Sellars about it, and he denied it.

[Annotator's Note: A portion of the video is cut out.] Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was stationed in Tientsin [Annotator's Note: now Tianjin, China]. Hanson quickly learned enough Chinese to be able to get around. He had no money and began thinking of how he could make some. He realized American sailors were being scammed by local Chinese when exchanging money, so he offered to help one sailor get a better exchange if he would give Hanson a portion of the Chinese money he received. The going rate at the time was 2,000 Chinese dollars for one US dollar, which is what Hanson settled for. The sailor only paid him 500 Chinese dollars, which was nothing.

Wilfred Hanson [Annotator's Note: with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division] was sent back to the States in January 1946. The problem of enlisting like he did, was that when the rest of the Marines were being sent to Great Lakes [Annotator's Note: Naval Station Great Lakes in Lake County, Illinois] for discharge, he was not allowed to go. His status was that he had enough time and more than enough points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home]. He wanted to give civilian life a try. He studied for two years at the University of Minnesota [Annotator's Note: in Minneapolis, Minnesota], was married and was going to have a child. Without enough education for a regular job, he reentered the Marine Corps and was on the Inspector Instructors Staff in Duluth, Minnesota. He went to Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina] at the outbreak of the Korean War [Annotator's Note: Korean War, 25 June 1950 to 27 July 1953]. He had two Purple Hearts [Annotator's Note: the Purple Heart Medal is award bestowed upon a United States service member who has been wounded as a result of combat actions against an armed enemy] so he would not be sent overseas again, and would instead going to be sent into G2, the intelligence section. It was too overcrowded, so he was put instead into G3 [Annotator's Note: operations and training]. He oversaw over 100 men, many of them awaiting court martial [Annotator's Note: a legal proceeding for military members]. During the Battle of Peleliu [Annotator's Note: Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, September to November 1944 at Peleliu, Palau], a fellow Marine named Joe Henley [Annotator's Note: phonetic spelling] was exhausted. A man was crawled over him waking him up, apologizing with an accent. Another Marine realized it was a Jap [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese], took a .45 [Annotator's Note: .45 caliber M1911 semi-automatic pistol] and shot and killed him. Hanson went occasionally to unit reunions.