by Usmc (Ret ). J. J. Preston (Author)
It was the first and only time during combat operations in the Pacific theater that an Army Air Force unit would land with U.S. Marine assault elements across a hostile beach. The date was February 24, 1945 (D+5), and the beach on which the men of the 386th Air Service Group (ASG), U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) landed was given the name of a color - Red. They possessed few of the combat skills Marine infantrymen would have had. They weren't trained to close with and destroy an enemy through close combat. They were specialists, trained in skills totally alien to the Marine "grunts" swarming ashore. Their skills, however, were critical to the successful execution and completion of Operation Detachment (code name for the island and battle destined to become legendary in the history of World War II). Red beach was one of the black sand beaches on the eastern shore of the island named - Iwo Jima. This is a brief history of the 386th ASG, USAAF. Their story could have been lost to history except for the tenacity of a few of the units veterans and their descendants. It's the account of a group of men who could accomplish almost anything asked of them. They worked 24/7 for months, without complaint, in an environment fraught with danger and instant death. They were part of a generation of Americans whose self-sacrifice, courage, and love of country set them apart from every other generation. These men were members of the generation that saved civilization as we know it, "The Greatest Generation," and they are nearly all gone now. Fortunately, their story survives and should serve as an inspiration to those generations of Americans who follow after them.
Author Biography
Colonel Preston received a BS degree in history and political science from East Texas State University (Texas A&M, Commerce) in 1967. The colonel attended the Basic School at Quantico, Virginia; the FAOBC at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and the United States Army Airborne and Ranger Schools prior to deploying to Vietnam in 1969. During the course of his thirty-four year career in the Marine Corps Colonel Preston held a number of commanding officer billets, starting as a platoon and company commander in Vietnam. Later, he commanded the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion (1987 to 1989) and the 25th Marine Infantry Regiment (1991). The colonel's work experience also includes employment by the State of Texas, the El Paso Police Department, the El Paso Independent School District, and Park University. He holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Master of Arts degree from Sul Ross State University. Colonel Preston and his wife Jeannie live in El Paso, Texas. Together they raised four sons, and they have six grandchildren.