Document text
2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Monday Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Missing teen possibly seen in Florida Emergency services, Feb. 22 Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Logos to receive a slice of Wes Howard Memorial Sports Park Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Brown says she'll preserve Oregon death penalty moratorium Tentative deal reached in West Coast port labor dispute State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Economists project 'kicker' rebates Nation - World Obituaries Lois Gunsolus Wilson Donald Max Long Betty E. Schmidt Anne Brown Stewart Richard Nudelman, 70 years Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Challengers, Crusaders rake in SCL awards Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Bubble Breaker? Wood sets franchise points record in win Varsity 541 College Sports Bubble Breaker? Beavers Pac-12 champs with win LOCAL REPORT Beavers wrap up road trip with win SOU lays claim to another regional title Pro Sports Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Wood sets franchise points record in win Gordon, Pelicans down Heat Singler starts in debut with Thunder Community Sports Business Latest Stories Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Learn about Oregon's local crowdfunding options Blog: Random Acts of Kindness Dockworkers dispute hits home Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Mark L. Hopkins: History speaks to us on our present economic situation Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Editorials Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Our View: Independent Party of Oregon faces obstacles Letters to the Editor Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Feb. 18 Columns Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work 'Big' government is not so big after all Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Guest Opinion: How long will we look the other way? Lifestyle Latest stories Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining It Is What It Is: Girls just wanna have fu-un Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Get A Life: Time to stop ‘misremembering’ Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Food Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Fire and Smoke Tammy Kelly: Comfort food makes cold weather better Community blog: Citrus fruits shine in foods fresh and preserved Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Car crashes into new south Medford home ... Gold Hill police levy discussions criticized ... Get Up & Go: Monday, Feb. 23 ... Car crashes into new south Medford home ... The Real Iwo Jima By Paul Fattig,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig,Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2006 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:53 AM By Paul Fattig,Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2006 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:53 AM » Social News Medford veteran recounts the horrors of WWII battle captured on film this year — Murph Rosenstein has no desire to see the just-released film about the World War II battle on Iwo Jima directed by Clint Eastwood. He has nothing against the director or the flick. In fact, he understands the reviews of "Letters From Iwo Jima" indicate the movie from the Japanese perspective is well done. "But I already have a tough time with it & 8212; I'm a very bad sleeper, always have been in my adult life," explained the Medford resident, a former Marine who was wounded on the island during the ferocious island-hopping campaign in World War II. The movie is a companion to Eastwood's earlier released "Flags of Our Fathers," which focused on the Marines who raised the stars and stripes on Mount Suribachi. Nearly 26,000 U.S. Marines were wounded and some 7,000 killed on Iwo Jima after the Corps invaded it on Feb. 19, 1945. Before the battle, the small island with two airstrips had been a relatively unknown part of the Japanese homeland. "The reason we needed to take Iwo was that we needed its two air strips," said the retired businessman who served with the 4th Marine Division. "So many bombers and their crews were getting shot down because we didn't have fighter escorts for them." The smaller fighters couldn't fly as far as the longer-range bombers, making it necessary for the Allies to obtain air bases closer to target areas, he noted. "It was only a 2& 65279;1& 129;& 8222;2-mile wide by 4-mile long island," he said. "But it was very important." In the Medford home he shares with Glenda, his wife of 41 years, is a study where he has hung memorabilia and photographs of the war. One photograph shows a smiling Private Rosenstein straight out of boot camp. Next to it is a photograph of a somber private first class immediately after Saipan in September of 1944. "I aged," he observed. One photograph he has is of a Marine on the beach of Iwo Jima, a bayonet fixed to his M-1 rifle. At first glance, it appears as if he is about to complete his assault. But a closer look reveals a bullet hole through the helmet of the dead Marine. Rosenstein, 82, would serve on Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. Although he wasn't on the initial landing of Saipan, he saw grim sights on the island. "The Japanese military had told the civilians on Saipan that we were savages, cannibalistic," he said. "They said we would eat the children." As a result, after warfare caused civilians to retreat to the top of a 200-foot cliff on the end of the island, the parents threw their children over onto the rocks before jumping themselves, he said. "We witnessed that from a distance," he said of the emotionally painful experience. Iwo Jima had horrors of its own. The Marines had to breathe in the repugnant smell of sulphur bubbling up from the volcanic island as well as the stench of more than 2,000 comrades-in-arms laid out on the beach and covered with ponchos. "We didn't have time to bury them," he said. "There were Japanese snipers crawling under the ponchos and using them as cover. Every morning at daybreak, two or three guys went around with BARs (Browning automatic rifles) and shot the bodies to get the snipers." The volcanic ash also made it impossible to dig a foxhole because the sides would collapse, he said. "So we couldn't dig in," he said. "My memory is of body parts. Body parts were just flying around. You figured you were next. "I remember one time during a real bad barrage that I looked up and said, 'Mom, if you can help me, help me now,' " he said. "Anybody who said they weren't scared is lying." Rosenstein arrived on the seventh wave of the invasion. "They (Japanese) let that many in before they opened fire," he said. "They were trying to trap us on the beach." The Japanese forces made their main defense in natural caves on the island, making it nearly impossible for American bombing to have any affect. "They even had a hospital and a mess hall in the caves," he said. Rosenstein was wounded attacking one of those caves. "There was a guy carrying a flamethrower and another guy carrying a BAR," he said of that day, noting he was carrying a rifle. "There was an explosion. A gas tank in the cave went off. There were also grenades exploding. Everybody got hit." In addition to being severely burned, Rosenstein was struck just over the left eye by grenade fragments, nearly taking out his eye. He was out of action. After being taken to a hospital ship, he was transferred to Guam where he spent another six weeks in the hospital. His mother back in Bethlehem, Penn., received the following telegram from the Corps on April 7, 1945. "My dear Mrs. Rosenstein," it began. "A report has just been received that your son, Private First Class Abe Rosenstein, USMC, sustained burns of the leg in action against the enemy on 26 Feb., 1945 at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. "The report further states he was removed for medical treatment," it added. "His condition is reported to be favorable." Rosenstein, who officially changed his first name to "Murph" because that's what his Irish Catholic boyhood chums had dubbed him, didn't receive his Purple Heart medal earned during the battle until 2002. He credits the tenacity of the staff at the Jackson County Veterans Office for obtaining it. Like many other veterans, he collected souvenirs from the war. "One Japanese sergeant I got to first had a scrapbook that included pictures of his family," he said. "That made me very sad. There were kids in there. He also had newspaper clippings of the war from Japanese newspapers." In addition, there is also an unusual cartoon featuring a caricature of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The four-frame cartoon concludes with FDR hiding under his desk as the Japanese advance. But the WWII combat veteran, who follows closely the mounting war dead in Iraq, will tell you there is nothing humorous about war. "I'll be very honest with you & 8212; I do a lot of crying for those guys dying in Iraq," he said. "I'm not ashamed of it. "I don't think the whole country of Iraq is worth the life of one of our service men," he added, noting no Iraqis were involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "Afghanistan, I can understand that," he continued. "We should have gone in there and finished that job completely." Back in his study is a photograph of three laughing Marines, and he's one of them. They were on liberty in Honolulu after Saipan, celebrating life, he explained. "That's me on the left," he said. "The other two are Craig & 8212; I don't remember his last name right now & 8212; and Jimmy Edwards. They were both killed on Iwo." Rosenstein was discharged as a corporal on Feb. 19, 1946, a year to the day after the Iwo Jima assault began. Reach reporter at 776-4496 or at By Paul Fattig,Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Paul Fattig,Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 25, 2006 @ 2:00 am Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:53 AM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501