Clark County, Wisconsin Biography

The famous LIFE Pultizer Prized photo. "REACHING OUT"

I am the FMF Navy Corpsman, wearing glasses helping Sgt Purdie walk, holding his right arm. Taken Sept 1966 on Hill 400, in the Razor Back, Mts.. Mutter Ridge, South Vietnam.. Larry Burrows LIFE Photo. David Behrens

I am proud of my US Navy/Marines Vietnam service as Cousin Dr. Jerry is. I am proud of that LIFE Pulitzer prize photo too.

Over the Years I have gotten letters of Recognition from: Late President Ronald Reagan, Ex-US Senator Wm Proxmire, Ex-US Congressman Steve Gunderson, Ex-USMC General, Ex-USMC Commandant P.X. Kelly, Ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chairman USMC, Peter Pace, Russell and Larry Burrows Family of NY.

Also back in 1982 TV #13 showed that LIFE photo, on TV as a "Magazine Memories" as I was on Cindy Schott News Show for interview and she told of letter and showed from President Reagan and that photo history. It has been used in many TIME-LIFE special Magazines and used for other High School and College and Vietnam War History Books by other Authors and Publishers and sold at Book Stores, I have seen and have.

In 1983 I once was invited to a History Class at U W EC and talked about it and shown the photo, they kept a copy of it for other classes study.

I have mentioned it and sent it to the White House and Pentagon and their Staff then gave it to President and other Generals and sent to the Naval Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Wash DC. and they have had it on Display as has US. Navy Memorial in Wash. DC. as they requested.

The United States Navy Memorial Log in Wash DC. Has my photo, records, memories and LIFE Pulitzer photo I was a Fleet Marine Force (Navy) Corpsman with the Marines. 66/67 taken 1966 Sept. on Hill 400 by late Larry Burrows, shows me aiding wounded. In my Log. With the 3rd BN. 4th Marines. 3rd Marine Division. Son of Ed and Violet Behrens. Longwood Township/ Laid to rest in Greenwood. Sister is Judy Maxwell and William of Ithaca, NY, Brother is Ed Behrens and Wanda of Great Falls, VA.

Dr. Jerry Behrens info, He was a Battalion Surgeon (Orthopedic Surgeon) with Marines in 67/68. In his Log. With the 3rd BN. 9th Marines. 3rd Marine Division. Wife Mary Behrens of Casper,WY. Son of Uncle Louie, Aunt Alice Behrens.. Greenwood/ Laid to rest in Casper, WY. Brother of Cheryl Wrasper, Casper, WY. He was born in Marshfield, WI and raised in Greenwood, he was a Navy Lt. Battalion Surgeon with Marines, 3rd BN.
9th Marines. 3rd MAR. DIV. in Vietnam in 1967/1968 and where he was awarded a Bronze Star, for Heroism during a battle, as his unit was in a Convoy in route, was ambushed by the North Vietnamese Army.

Dr Jerry was in the Battle of Khe Sanh, it lasted weeks as the North Vietnamese pounded the Marines day and night with Artillery attacks' and suicide attacks 1968. He and other Doctors and Navy Corpsman were kept busy day and night, with the wounded. He has since, volunteered as a civilian and returned to Vietnam several times in the 1980's and 1990's to assist and train Vietnamese's Doctors in Orthopedic Surgery procedures. His wife, Mary a Nurse has gone with him, to train nurses there. He has since, volunteered to go serve with the Marines in Kuwait, as s a Battalion Surgeon for the First Gulf War in 1991 as a Navy
Lt. Commander. here he did Orthopedic surgery and treated Marine causalities and Iraq military and civilian casualties and trained Kuwait Doctors in Orthopedic Surgery procedures. He stayed in Kuwait after the War ended, to finish up his work there. In his clinic and practice in Casper, WY and continues his practice and does surgery and treats returning local Iraq war veterans, that need follow up surgery from the VA. He is active in 3/9 Marine Unit reunions and other Veterans projects. He is a well known and a very respected Surgeon and many of his patients come from out of State and want to have Dr Jerry care for them. Research in IWO JIMA done by my Cousin Dr. J. Behrens. David H Behrens added photo, records.

History of our late Uncle Bill Behrens at Iwo Jima and the History and Marine Units that fought there.

One of over 75,000 Marines in the assault on Iwo Jima our Uncle, Pvt. Bill Behrens was in the 4th Marine Division, serving in the 14th Marine Regiment (Artillery) he was a rifleman who protected the forward observers. He came ashore on the 1st day. The 4th Mar. Div.
was on the right hand side of the assault beach furthest away from Mt. Suribachi and close to a feature the Japanese had heavily fortified called the Rock Quarry. As you know Iwo Jima means, "sulfur Island" because of the sulphur emitting vents and fumaroles from the dormant Volcano. The sand was actually warm in some areas. The 5th Marine Division was the left side of the assault beach landing closest to Suribachi and their job was to punch across the narrow neck of the Island, just 800 yards, as fast as they could to isolate Mt. Suribachi from the rest of the Island. They were able to do that on the first day, but when they turned to Mt. Suribachi they were met with three mutually supporting lines of Japanese positions around the base of the mountain which they had to slug through at great cost. It took 3 days to do that and many men were killed and wounded. The patrol that then put the flag up on the top of the mountain actually had no resistance on their way up even though there were many live Japanese still burrowed into the mountain.

Then, the 5th Marine division turned away from Suribachi beginning the assault northward. They manned the left side of the line, two regiments of the newly landed 3rd Marine Division were in the middle including the 3rd Bn. 9th Marines who Dr. Jerry Behrens served with in Vietnam as well as the 3rd Bn, 4th Marine regiment which Field Navy Corpsman David Behrens served with in Vietnam. The 3rd Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division was never committed to the battle, leaving the 4th and 9th Regiments along with their supporting units to fight it out, a matter of some controversy especially later during the battle as the casualties mounted and replacements were fed into the front line units and killed even before their comrades knew their names. The 4th Marine Division was on the right end of the line. The slow very costly push northwards taking one Japanese position after another, some multiple times, finally ended the battle after 36 days. Out of the estimated 22,000 Japanese defenders, there were a little over a 100 prisoners taken. Over 6,900 Marines were killed. 758 Corpsmen and 21 Medical Doctors were killed or wounded as well.

On the second day of the battle two Japanese Kamikaze planes hit the Escort Carrier USS Bismarck Sea, which was part of the Navy protective screen offshore. It went down in 90 minutes with the loss of 318 sailors. When Uncle Bill Behrens was back on Maui after the battle where the 4th Marine Division was absorbing replacements and training for the assault on Japan, they heard about the Atom Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which ended the war. They felt like they had their lives handed back to them because most of them did not expect to survive the "next one" which was Japan itself. Dr. Jerry Behrens and David H Behrens and Son Bill Behrens Jr. and all of the Behrens/Jackson/Warner Family with love and Respect.

Uncle William Henry Behrens (Bill) WWII Marine Pvt. fought on IWO JIMA. His photo and records and memories, Dr. Jerry and I put in for his Log. Laid to rest in Greenwood with brothers Lee and Harry Behrens and Grandpa Alex and Grandma Agnus Behrens, parents of 13 Children .

After spending a few months in Greenwood, resting and recuperating after WWII, uncle Harry continued his education at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, then after a few semesters' he transferred to the University of North Carolina in Durham, to continue getting his Teaching Degree.

After graduating with honors, he got a Teaching job in Miami, Florida area, were he taught High School Math and Science courses over 35 years. He married and raised a family there, with three sons and one daughter and he stayed active in the US Air Force Reserve. After retiring from teaching and the military, he always enjoyed life with his family and then grand children, up till his death in 2008.

I have been in contact with family members across the States and Canada: Cousin Peggy King we just found a couple years ago, She is the Great Grand Daughter of Gerogena Behrens Belore. Older Sister of Grandpa Alex A Behrens. Cousin Billy Warner, Son of Uncle Dick and Aunt Ede Warner, he found Peggy, as did Cousin Susan Holman of Utah, Daughter of Uncle Karl and Aunt Katherine Behrens, both laid to rest in Sandy, Utah.

Cousin Don Warner, a Vietnam Veteran, US Air Force Staff Sgt." He has played Taps, while in the Air Force, at Arlington National Cemetery services and still does in his local area memorial services, for VFW and American Legion.

Younger generations should always remember the Pearl Harbor attack in Dec. 1941 and remember Uncle Bill and Uncle Harry Behrens and Uncle Rex Battenberg, my Uncle Jarly Malen and all who fought and the ones who died in WWII and Uncle Adolph Jackson in WWI.

Thanks to Great Grandpa Fred Behrens and Great Grandpa Carl Roseman and Great Grandma Sophia and Grandpa Alex and Grandma Agnus Behrens and 13 Chidren. Adeline, Ed, Louie, Irma, Karl, Lillian, Lucille, Mildred, Lee, Eileen,
Harry, Bill, Ede.

To the Uncles and Aunts and their husbands and wife's and all the Dozens of Cousins. Uncle Adolph, Jackson and Aunt Adeline.. Dad, Ed and Mom, Violet Behrens.. Uncle Louie and Aunt Alice Behrens.. Aunt Irma and Uncle Dr. Brose Hertzog. Uncle Karl and Aunt Katherine Behrens.. Aunt Lilllian and Uncle Jim Redgren. Aunt Lucille and Uncle Harold Schmitt... Aunt Mildred and Uncle Dr. Churchill Eisenhart. Little Lee... Aunt Eileen and Uncle Rexford Battenberg.. Uncle Harry and Aunt Marie Behrens, Uncle Bill and Grace Behrens.. Aunt Ede and Uncle Dick Warner, to my Wife Janice A Behrens and family.......... David H Behrens..