Bill Hand (Shorty) My name is Pete Hand. My father, a Marine
Sergeant, served on Roi and was on the island the night it was bombed. He was able to carry
a lot of the wounded down all during that night. From what I understand
he put them on trucks and brought them down to the beach for first aid.
After the bombing, Adjutant General Spiniski wanted to know who was
driving the truck all night taking the wounded down to the safe area on
the beach. He learned it was Bill Hand. He said that he was
going to put his name in for the Navy Cross. Well that did not happen.
The general lost one of his legs either later on that day or the next
day from an explosion and the Navy Cross never was never given to Bill.
Bill said, "He was really scared that night helping those men.
Bombs were going off all over the place. The Japs bombed the island and
when everything went off it was like the island just lifted off the
ground."
Some of the guys called BIll Hand by "Shorty". He is in front row
right side with the hat flipped up. Bill Hand is 84 now
(2007).
Pete Hand's contact email is as follows:
hjerrylewis@comcast.net
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![Roi-Namur](https://shermieatthepiano.com/links/archive/Shermie/files/vets/vet057.jpg)
Bill Hand (Shorty), front row, 4th from
the right, bottom row
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![USMC Emblem](https://shermieatthepiano.com/links/archive/Shermie/files/vets/marines.jpg) |
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