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Mr. Metzler: The LCMs could handle the Shermans but the Shermans couldn't handle themselves once they got into that... Mr. Doig: No, they couldn't handle a big thick jungle. In fact, I think they took some lighter tanks in there and tried to use them, I don't know what they would have been at this time...I know that the Second Marine Division had been in the Solomon's and were brought out and brought back to New Mea and they were very gungho to go when we told them we were going to go.. they'd been sitting there for quite a while. They were very eager to go. Mr. Metzler: So you picked them up... Mr. Doig: They came up and we headed for Pearl. We didn't know where we were going but we headed north. We rendezvoused with another group that was coming in there and we sat off of the Gilbert Islands there and landed at Tarala. Mr. Metzler: When did you find out where you were headed, I mean, how did you find out? Mr. Doig: The Marine commander held a meeting on board ship and we attended the meeting and he told us we were going to make our landing at Guadalcanal. It had been occupied by the Japanese for about eight years and was well fortified. Mr. Metzler: You mentioned Pearl... Mr. Doig: Guadalcanal was where they had landed with their tanks and we picked them up at New Mea and took them to Tarala. We made landing November 201h at Tarala. Mr. Metzler: What was that like? Mr. Doig: That was a real mess. I think we were supposed to be about the third wave to hit the beach with our tanks and I don't know what time it was but we left the ship at about 3:00 in the morning to get five miles away
with th landing craft and go to the beach. The boat I was on got a line tangled up in one of the screws, we only had one engine, we couldn't get the engine to go, we were just locked up. So we were trying to make the landing with one engine. Mr. Metzler: How did that work?
The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with James Doig. Doig joined the Navy in December of 1942. He completed Diesel School, repairing landing craft engines. Beginning August of 1943, Doig served in the fire room aboard USS Ashland (LSD-1). While he was aboard, the Ashland participated in the assaults on Kwajalein and Eniwetok. In the late 1944, Doig was transferred to USS Kenton (APA-122). They transported troops to the Philippines and participated in the Okinawa invasion. Doig was discharged in February of 1946.
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Doig, James.Oral History Interview with James Doig, May 13, 2004,
text,
May 13, 2004;
Fredericksburg, Texas.
(https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1604529/m1/13/:
accessed July 16, 2024),
University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu;
crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.