Oral History Interview with Wayne Cripe, August 15, 2007

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Wayne Cripe. Cripe was born in Camden, Indiana 22 March 1926. Drafted into the US Marine Corps in June 1944 he went to boot camp at Parris Island. After twelve weeks he was sent to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He describes the training he underwent. During November 1944 he was sent to Camp Banyan, Hilo, Hawaii where he was assigned to the 5th Marine Division, 32nd Replacement Battalion. He tells of landing on Iwo Jima and seeing the American flag flying over Mount Suribachi as he was unloading supplies on the beach. He was on Iwo Jima seventeen days before he was severely wounded by fragments from a Japanese grenade. After being tended by a hospital corpsman he was evacuated to the US Samaritan (AH-10) and taken to Aiea Naval Hospital at Pearl Harbor. After spending six months at the hospital he was sent to San Diego where he received a physical evaluation and was discharged 5 May 1946