Charlotte Observer, The (NC)
1995-02-12
Section: MAIN NEWS
Edition: ONE - FOUR
Page: 2A

'LANDED RIGHT BELOW WHERE THE FLAG WAS RAISED'

   DEBORAH PARKHILL MULLIS, Staff Writer

The events of Feb. 19, 1945, seemed more like something out of a movie than real life to Bill Hood of Charlotte.

The Iwo Jima veteran says he doesn't want to remember everything that happened 50 years ago. But that doesn't stop the memories from coming back. ``I guess you were so damned scared you don't remember until later on in life,'' said the 73-year-old, who recently retired from a sales job.

Pfc. Hood was with the 5th Division, 28th Marine Regiment, which received a presidential citation for taking Mount Suribachi.

``We landed right below where the flag was raised,'' said Hood, referring to the famous photograph of Marines raising the U.S. flag. ``I don't know how we did it. We had a lot of casualties.''

Hood prefers to talk about lighter moments of the war. He's quick to tell stories about a Doberman pinscher snoring on the front line or a ``small gun boat'' that sounded so much like rumba music two Marines started dancing.

``Bad things you don't remember - funny things you remember. Does that make sense to you?'' he asked.

But he remembers bad things, too. Like the lieutenant who showed him a photograph of his newborn son. ``He told me You know I've never seen him.' Three days later the lieutenant was killed. I always wondered whether his body was brought back,'' said Hood.

Hood will go to Washington for the 50th anniversary of Iwo Jima. He plans to attend services at Washington National Cathedral and the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Va.