Valor on Okinawa
One of the earlier plaques erected in the VMI Memorial Gardens, occupying a prominent spot near the steps, is in memory of Horatio C. Woodhouse Jr. ’36 who was killed in the battle for Okinawa in 1945. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, “Monk” was a popular member of the class. His writeup in the 1936 Bomb noted that he rose to the rank of first lieutenant “...maintaining his military prestige without becoming ‘eager.’” It continued, “Never has a block running detail left without him. When asked why he wanted to take such chances with his stripes, he remarked that he only wanted to enjoy himself while he was young.” After graduation, he accepted a commission into the Marine Corps, served a tour in China and then served as a tactical instructor for schools at the U.S. Marine Corps Base at Quantico. After the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Woodhouse was posted to a variety of command and staff assignments in the Pacific theater and was involved in several amphibious operations.
Invasion of Okinawa April 1, 1945, found Lt. Col. Woodhouse commanding the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marine Regiment and landing with the assault wave on Okinawa. They were a part of the 6th Marine Division and were participating in the largest amphibious landing in the entire Pacific war. It would also prove to be the most costly. Gaining control of the island would enable the Allies to build air bases virtually on the doorstep of the Japanese homeland, so the Japanese troops mounted a defense that, compared with previous battles, was unparalleled in its ferocity. The 6th Division was assigned to take
Lt. Col. Horatio C. Woodhouse Jr. ’36 as a cadet.
“...the greatest commander I ever knew.” –Retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James L. Day the northern end of the island, which happened to be more lightly defended, and the units moved relatively quickly to secure it. On April 19, Woodhouse’s troops raised the American flag on the northernmost tip of Okinawa – the nearest point to the Japanese homeland reached by any American unit at that time. Most of the 6th Division was then ordered to the southern end of the island where the Japanese had concentrated their defenses and virtually stopped the Americans.
The Battle for Sugar Loaf Hill U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Lemuel Shepherd of the 6th Marine Division studied a map on Okinawa, June 1945. Courtesy of the National Archives, photo no. 127-GR-95-122119.
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As the men of the 2nd Battalion moved out toward their new objective, a series of low hills lay in their path. The lead company came up against the first, which became known as Sugar Loaf Hill – a
seemingly insignificant mound rising 50 feet above the surrounding terrain but which constituted an integral part of a network of mutually-supporting defensive strong points. The company was repelled; continued efforts to take the hill reduced their strength to 24 effectives, at which time the company was pulled back and others from the battalion were sent up. Woodhouse was personally involved in the four assaults made by his troops by leading and encouraging their efforts. The ground around the hill, which the troops had to cross, was a killing zone; several times the Marines managed to reach the summit, only to be driven back off. This was due to the murderous fire that came from artillery and mortars, as well as from firing ports that were so well designed VMI ALUMNI REVIEW
Photos of Woodhouse, Clement, Buckner and Shepherd courtesy of the VMI Archives.
by Bolling Williamson ’60, Contributing Writer
