As "H"
Company pressed east towards the old power plant, the troopers were in a
line of squad columns formation, two abreast, one platoon in reserve. A
flushed Japanese from the lantana brush ran into a nearby cave opening. Lieutenant Bonnel Stone,
leading the platoon, ran after the Japanese soldier and fired his carbine
at the retreating enemy as he fled into the cavern recess. The entire
hillside exploded at that instant. I was watching
Lieutenant Stone as
he fired and observed him vaporizing. A moment later the hillside rose
considerably, felling all to their knees. The hillside then began
crumbling and rolling down slope toward the nearby sea. In addition
to Lieutenant Stone, four enlisted men were killed by the landslide. The
bodies of Pfc. James
Moore and Pvt. Albert Lovenguth were never found.
Bennett M. Guthrie
'Three Winds of Death'
Diary Entry: Monday
Feb. 19th
1945
"Lt. Bonnell Stone took a
patrol to BATTERY POINT.
Cave blew up as Bonnell chased
a Nip into the entrance... Stone, Dave Beatty, James Moore, Levenguth and
Shankles were caught in explosion and killed -- Seven more wounded."
Some bodies were recovered. I
saw Dave Beatty's body and a body I thought was Shankles' but Stone was
blown to bits... Dom Dimassio was injured and had to be led back to the
company. He was able to walk. It was hard to tell it was him. Both eyes
were completely closed and his face was swollen about twice it's normal
size.. His lips and eyes were so puffed out that his nose seemed to have
sunk in his head...
Oddly Dave Beatty's remains
were not badly distorted.. I realized it was him without to much effort...
Diary Entry: Tuesday
Feb.
20th 1945
"Went out on patrol. Eleven
men able to go from 1st platoon. (Bonnell Stone's platoon."
Capt. Jim Mullaney
"H" Co
Commanding
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