"THE FIGHTING FIELD MUSIC"

*** WELCOME MICHELLE MALKIN READERS ***

Darrell Samuel Cole loved hunting, photography, and playing basketball. But it was his talent for playing the French Horn that would shape his destiny.

After he graduated from high school in Esther, Missouri, Cole worked at a couple of jobs before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve for the duration of the national emergency. He was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina, for training, where his proficiency with the French Horn marked him as a logical candidate for Field Music School - a field music being the Marine Corps equivalent of a bugler.

After completing field music school, he was transferred to the 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. On 7 August 1942 he waded ashore with his buddies of Company H of the 2d Battalion on the beaches of Guadalcanal, in the first American offensive of World War II.

Cole wasn't very happy being assigned as a field music. He had joined a fighting outfit to fight, not blow a horn. So when a regular machine gunner in his unit fell wounded, Cole took over and did so well he earned the praise of his commanding officer.

Immediately after the Guadalcanal campaign Cole requested his rating be changed from field music. He wanted to perform the regular duties of private first class in his weapons company. The request was disapproved, "due to a shortage of field musics." He returned to the United States to complete his first tour of duty overseas, still saddled with his bugle.

A month later, he joined the 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, which were then forming at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as part of the 4th Marine Division. Waiting until the unit moved to California, Cole again requested he be relieved of his duties as a field music and allowed to perform "line" duties. Again his request was disapproved.

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Field Music Cole married Margaret Belle Willett in San Diego. Less than a month after their marriage, he was on his way overseas for the second time with the 4th Marine Division.

During the first engagement of the division at Roi-Namur in the Kwajalein Atoll, Cole again forsaking his bugle, went into action as a machine gunner.

Four months later the 4th Marine Division stormed ashore at Saipan, and somehow Cole had managed to get himself assigned to his beloved machine guns. Because of his proven ability in combat he was designated machine gun section leader. During the battle when his squad leader was killed, Cole, although wounded himself, assumed command of the entire squad and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for "his resolute leadership, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of terrific opposition"

A few days after the battle of Saipan, Cole led his squad ashore in the invasion of the neighboring island of Tinian and continued to live up to his fast growing reputation as "The Fighting Field Music" throughout the campaign.

After the Marianas campaigns, Cole requested a change of warrant for the third time. Pointing out his experience and combat record, he argued he would be of more benefit to the Marine Corps performing line duties than those of field music. This time his request was approved, and he was redesignated as Corporal "line."

In January 1945, Sergeant Cole sailed with his company for an unknown island that was to become one of the most famous battlefields of American history -- Iwo Jima.

On D-Day, February 19th, Sergeant Cole led his machine gun section ashore in the assault on Iwo's beaches. One of his squads had hardly reached dry land before their advance was halted by a deadly hail of fire from two enemy positions. Taking stock of the situation, Cole crawled forward and wiped out the two positions with hand grenades. His unit continued the advance until they were again halted by fire from three Japanese pillboxes. One of Cole's machine guns silenced the most threatening position, and then jammed.

Armed only with a pistol and one hand grenade, Sergeant Cole made a one-man attack against the two remaining positions. Twice be returned to his own lines for additional grenades and continued the attack under the fierce enemy fire until he had succeeded in destroying the Japanese strong point. Returning to his own squad, he was instantly killed by an enemy grenade. By his one-man attack and heroic self-sacrifice, Sergeant Cole enabled his company to move forward against the remaining fortifications and attain their ultimate objective.

For his unselfish act of heroism, the Nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, was posthumously awarded to Sergeant Cole. In the words of the citation that accompanied it "By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sergeant Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

The Field Music who had desperately wanted to be a great fighting man had at last achieved his ambition.

In addition to the Medal of Honor and Bronze Star Medal, Sergeant Cole was awarded the Purple Heart, Gold Star in lieu of a second Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. The Medal of Honor was presented to his wife.


In subsequent years, the U.S. Navy named one of the world's most advanced warships, the 505-foot Arleigh Burke Class "Aegis" destroyer, for this brave young man. The USS Cole (DDG-67), was given the appropriate motto "Determined Warrior", a reflection of the character and valor of Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole.

This same ship was attacked seven years ago today, October 12, in Port Aden on the Arabian Peninsula from a small inflatable boat in a terrorist act by suicide bombers that killed 17 American men and women and injured more than 36 more, five of them seriously. The ship was in port at Aden, Yemen, for brief refueling when the small craft came alongside the ship, carrying some form of high-explosive powerful enough to rip a large hole -- 40 feet by 60 feet, flooding the main engine spaces.

It had sailed through the Red Sea and was enroute to the Persian Gulf where it was to perform maritime intercept operations in support of the UN embargo against Iraq.

Six Yemenis who were suspected of the crime had connections to Osama bin Laden. A top Al Qaeda man was suspected of masterminding the deadly bombing, an act of war against our country.

Six terrorists with connections to bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Terrorists who attacked us one year before their brothers in evil flew planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

And now, seven years to the day of the attack on the USS Cole, an American icon will be bathed in green to honor the religion of those who have sworn to kill us all if we do not accept Islam as the one and only religion of Allah.

Would Sgt. Cole think we have lost our minds? Do you?


MICHELLE MALKIN - The Green Glow of Dhimmitude

U.S.S. COLE MEMORIAL SITE - Seventeen Young Lives - photos

WHITE HOUSE SITE - The USS Cole Incident

THE CARGO LETTER SITE -- lots of pics and info

NEWS ITEM OF THE DAY--BBC

THIRDWAVEDAVE Remembers and Pays Tribute

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