Harry A. Steinmeyer
Harry August Steinmeyer Jr. was born 12-Dec 1920 in Memphis Tennessee. His parents were Harry August Steinmeyer Sr. (1892-1963) and Lydia Emilie Koestering (1894-1978). He graduated from Roosevelt High School in St. Louis. He had one brother: Lloyd, and two cousins Ernest, and Julia Koestering.
In 1940, Harry lived on 5335 Lindenwood in St. Charles MO. He registered for the draft on 14-Feb 1942, recording on his registration “Not Employed, Attending School.” At that time, Harry was 21 years old, and attending Washington University in St. Louis MO. He later graduated from Washington University in 1942. Harry joined the Marine Corps on 24-Mar 1942.
On 24-Mar 1942 through July 1942, Harry A. Steinmeyer was listed as a Private First Class stationed/attached to the Platoon Leaders’ Unit, Ninth Reserve District. Soon Harry was to attend Marine Officer Candidates Course (OCC). Candidates retained whatever enlisted rank or pay grade they held prior to entering the course (with pay at least equal to an E-5 Sergeant). In 1942, the Marine Corps Officer Candidates Course (OCC) at Quantico, Virginia, was a 10-week program. Candidates (often referred to as the Reserve Officer School) underwent this training to screen and evaluate their mental and physical leadership capabilities before being commissioned as Second Lieutenants.
From 1-Oct to 30-Oct 1942, Harry A Steinmeyer was listed as a Pfc stationed with Company “H”, (13th Candidates” Class), Quantico, Virginia. In early December 1942, Harry was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. About this time, his mother visited him in Quantico VA.
Harry attended Reserve Officer Class at Quantico VA. in January 1943. He served in the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion. In 1943, the Marine Amphibian Tractor Detachment (a key testing and research unit) was located in Dunedin, Florida. Following the success and evaluation of their equipment, various operational “AMTRAC” battalions deployed to forward combat zones and training bases across the Pacific Theater and California.
By July 1943, 2nd Lieutenant Harry A. Steinmeyer was stationed with Headquarters and Service Company, Amphibian Tractor Battalion in Dunedin. Florida.
His training complete, in October 1943, Steinmeyer was now a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to Station Headquarters and Service Company Amphibian Tractor Battalion at Camp Elliot San Diego.
In January Jan 1944, 1st Lieutenant Steinmeyer was stationed with the 34th Replacement Battalion, Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, California. During World War II, a Marine assigned to the 34th Replacement Battalion typically spent only a few weeks in San Francisco before shipping out to the Pacific Theater. Once they arrived overseas (such as at staging bases in Guadalcanal, Saipan, or Guam), the replacement battalions were typically disbanded, and individual Marines were immediately reassigned to replace losses in active divisions like the 3rd Marine Division.
Guadalcanal
Marines called Guadalcanal “The Island of Death” and “The Green Hell” due to the brutal combat, tropical diseases, and extreme misery they faced. In 1943 – 1944: Multiple infantry divisions – including units of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army – were stationed on the island post-victory. Troops used the brutal, realistic terrain to conduct jungle warfare drills, amphibious landing rehearsals, and acclimatization before moving up the Solomon Islands chain.
Harry arrived on Guadalcanal in early May 1943. Harry would have arrived as a replacement officer. The 3d AMTRAC Battalion arrived at Tetere Beach, Guadalcanal, in mid-1943 to engage in intense training exercises before staging for the invasion of Bougainville. The realistic, harsh jungle environment of Guadalcanal provided newly arrived, “green” American troops with invaluable preparation for the unforgiving conditions they would face in subsequent Pacific island-hopping campaigns.
On Guadalcanal, the 3d Amphibian Tractor Battalion trained as an organic unit assigned to the 3rd Marine Division. The battalion utilized camps in the Tetere Beach area of Guadalcanal to rest, refit, and conduct rigorous amphibious training between their major combat campaigns. Harry’s son Doug recalled a story about a time when they ran out of beer on Guadalcanal. Early in the battle, the Marines rapidly seized the unfinished Japanese airfield (later named Henderson Field), they also captured massive enemy supply dumps. Alongside warehouse stores of rice and candy, the Marines successfully uncovered and happily consumed massive stashes of Japanese beer and sake. Sake usually has an alcohol-by-volume (ABV) of 14% to 20%, which is stronger than regular wine or beer. Once when the beer ran out for 3d AMTRAC Battalion, a couple of men under Harry’s command decided to take matters into their own hands. They stole two Shore Patrol (Navy security) uniforms and went to a supply depot and helped themselves to huge quantities of beer. Harry later said to his son Doug, “We really pulled the wool over their eyes.”
Harry would see action on Bougainville and Guam. Following the liberation of Guam in August 1944, the battalion remained on the island for a few months refitting and training before loading onto ships in mid-February 1945. They launched their LVTs directly into combat at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945.
Iwo Jima
The initial wave of U.S. Marines reached the beaches one minute ahead of schedule at 08:59 A.M., with H-Hour set for 09:00 a.m. Arriving, the division moved into the center sector of the island, the AMTRACS (Amphibious Tractors or Landing Vehicle, Tracked) mechanized units provided transport, logistical support, and direct skirmish-line advancements across the black sand beaches.
The 3d Amphibian Tractor Battalion deployed to Iwo Jima with a total of 90 LVT-2 “Water Buffaloes”. As AMTRACs neared or hit the shore, they faced direct hits from high-explosive shells that could easily pierce or blow apart the thin steel armor of the vehicles. Iwo Jima’s steep black volcanic ash terraces created a violent, crushing surf zone. Many AMTRACs lost traction, capsized, or “bellied up” in the soft shifting sand, leaving their passengers exposed to raking enemy fire while trying to scramble out. Standard cargo AMTRACs (like the LVT-4) had open tops. Troops sat exposed to shrapnel, sniper fire, and airburst mortar shells exploding directly overhead before they could dismount and jump over the high sides into the combat zone. Historical records indicate that roughly one-fourth of the deployed LVTs were knocked out or destroyed during the fierce operation.
AMTRACS played a crucial, life-saving role in the Battle of Iwo Jima, crossing jagged coral reefs and traversing the island’s soft, treacherous volcanic ash. The U.S. military lost a total of 148 AMTRACs during the Iwo Jima campaign.
The Flag Raising
The assault on Mount Suribachi began on 20-Feb 1945 (the day after the initial Iwo Jima landings). Marines of the 28th Regiment fought through grueling terrain and heavy enemy fire to reach the summit. Three days later, the first U.S. Flag was raised on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on 23-Feb 1945, at approximately 10:20 A.M. The raising of this first flag marked a crucial morale boost during one of the fiercest and most heavily contested campaigns of the Pacific War. When the first smaller American flag was raised on Mount Suribachi, an immediate uproar of celebration erupted with hundreds of ships in the harbor blowing their horns, sirens, and whistles, and Sailors and Marines cheering. Because the initial flag was relatively small and largely obscured from the view of Allied forces on the beaches and ships, it was later taken down. This first raising was captured in photographs by Sgt. Louis R. Lowery. This flag was determined to be too small for the ships off the beach to see it.
A Colonel asked Steinmeyer, a 1st Lieutenant, what he did on this ship. Harry told him, “I am an AMTRAC commander.” Lieutenant Albert Tuttle onboard LST-779 was sent to locate a 96-by-56-inch flag in the ship’s inventory and give it to Battalion Commander Col. Chandler Johnson. Colonel Chandler ordered Harry to meet him a few hours later, around 1:00 p.m. The Colonel arrived with a photographer, later determined to be Joe Rosenthal. The Colonel ordered Harry to take him to the island and up Mt. Suribachi. Harry asked the Colonel, “why they were going to the Island.” The Colonel unbuttoned his jacket and showed them a perfectly folded American Flag. Harry explained “He could not get them all the way up to Mount Suribachi due to the terrain.” The Colonel told Harry to take him as far as he could. Harry received the larger flag from the Colonel and transported it to the beach. This was the “second flag” a larger, much more visible flag raised on Suribachi on 23-Feb 1945.
The second, larger flag raising was immortalized by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in arguably one of the most famous images of World War II, which later served as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, VA. Weeks later, Harry saw the picture in front of Stars and Stripes. Then he realized what he had done. The photo taken is one of the most famous photographs from World War II of the Marines raising the second flag on Mount Suribachi. The inscription on the monument in Washington states, “Uncommon Valor Was Common Virtue.”
A Veteran Shares His Story
Harry would retire as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In 1945, Lieutenant Harry A. Steinmeyer was instrumental in the second flag raising on Iwo Jima in 1945 captured by Joe Rosenthal. Yet, Harry kept this iconic story (and others) to himself. In March 2007 while eating breakfast at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House – a South St. Louis neighborhood breakfast fixture – Harry, now 86 – shared this story and others with his son Douglas. The story was nearly lost. Harry A. Steinmeyer died two months later in May.
For more of his story, click on the pdf below.
