Irving veteran recalls Battle of Iwo Jima
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Commanding an armored amphibious tank, Canara Carruth was one of the first Marines on the beach in 1945 at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.
His vehicle transitioned seamlessly from the water to land, but it came under heavy fire.
Ask him about it, and the 85-year-old Irving resident will give you an emotional account in his native Texan drawl.
“As we turned to get off the beach, we got hit,” he said. “We went back out into the water, and me and my crew stayed out there five days. The Navy came along and picked us up.”
The battle lasted for more than a month and the U.S. suffered about 25,000 casualties. The image of soldiers raising the flag on the fifth day of the battle has since become iconic. Carruth has a miniature version of the Iwo Jima memorial on the fireplace mantel in his home.
But losing so many comrades during Iwo Jima was hard, he said, remaining stoic.
The battle was just one of several he was involved with during his time in the Pacific.
He said he was proud to have been part of such a pivotal battle.
Carruth joined the Marines in 1943 on a personal mission.
His uncle was a part of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942, when Japanese troops forced thousands of American prisoners of war on a gruesome, 60-mile trek without food or water.
“That’s the only reason I joined,” he said.
A native of Pampa, Carruth moved to Irving for a job offer. Forty years later, he still calls Irving home. He and his wife Vontell have been married 62 years.
Irving’s a good city, Carruth said said.
“They have lots of advantages for elderly people that you don’t have in the smaller towns,” he said.
After retiring in 1992 from his job as a sales representative for a mattress company, Carruth now spends his time taking care of his wife and cooking.
He has two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His grandson, Michael is in the Army and stationed in the Germany, and Carruth said he couldn’t be more proud.
Years after the war, Carruth continued to stay in touch with several of his fellow Marines, which has helped him focus on the good memories of their time together overseas.
“You think about the sad parts and you think about the funny parts,” he said. “Now, we just tell funny stories.”
His vehicle transitioned seamlessly from the water to land, but it came under heavy fire.
Ask him about it, and the 85-year-old Irving resident will give you an emotional account in his native Texan drawl.
“As we turned to get off the beach, we got hit,” he said. “We went back out into the water, and me and my crew stayed out there five days. The Navy came along and picked us up.”
The battle lasted for more than a month and the U.S. suffered about 25,000 casualties. The image of soldiers raising the flag on the fifth day of the battle has since become iconic. Carruth has a miniature version of the Iwo Jima memorial on the fireplace mantel in his home.
But losing so many comrades during Iwo Jima was hard, he said, remaining stoic.
The battle was just one of several he was involved with during his time in the Pacific.
He said he was proud to have been part of such a pivotal battle.
Carruth joined the Marines in 1943 on a personal mission.
His uncle was a part of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines in 1942, when Japanese troops forced thousands of American prisoners of war on a gruesome, 60-mile trek without food or water.
“That’s the only reason I joined,” he said.
A native of Pampa, Carruth moved to Irving for a job offer. Forty years later, he still calls Irving home. He and his wife Vontell have been married 62 years.
Irving’s a good city, Carruth said said.
“They have lots of advantages for elderly people that you don’t have in the smaller towns,” he said.
After retiring in 1992 from his job as a sales representative for a mattress company, Carruth now spends his time taking care of his wife and cooking.
He has two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His grandson, Michael is in the Army and stationed in the Germany, and Carruth said he couldn’t be more proud.
Years after the war, Carruth continued to stay in touch with several of his fellow Marines, which has helped him focus on the good memories of their time together overseas.
“You think about the sad parts and you think about the funny parts,” he said. “Now, we just tell funny stories.”
