IWO JIMA Marine on SILVER STAR Combat ACTION | Thiele Fred Harvey

On February 19, 1945, Thiele Fred Harvey landed on Red Beach with the 26th Marines on Iwo Jima. He was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery during a 3-man patrol. His citation reads:
’’When his three-man patrol which was sent out to establish contact with the adjoining company was ambushed by heavy fire from an enemy machine gun and one of the men was seriously wounded, PFC Harvey dragged the fallen Marine under heavy fire to the shelter of a nearby hole. Remaining with the wounded man while his companion went for aid, he held off the hostile forces with his rifle and hand grenades until the arrival of the rescue party. Then, exposing himself to enemy fire and directing accurate heavy fire on the Japanese position, he successfully covered the evacuation of the casualty. By his initiative, courage and unselfish devotion to duty, he undoubtedly saved the life of his comrade and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service’’
Watch as he tells his remarkable story of service and sacrifice and SUBSCRIBE to our KZbin channel to watch more stories from our nation's heroes!
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Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
0:55 - Thiele Fred Harvey Introduction
1:12 - Born + Raised in Texas
1:41 - Why the Marines?
5:21 - Action
10:30 - Iwo Jima
13:40 - The Colt 45 From Mother Harvey
20:21 - Iwo Jima Combat
22:00 - The Toughest Moment of Iwo Jima?
28:17 - The Sands of Iwa Jima? No, It's Volcanic Ash.
28:40 - Conclusion

[@tmac6904]

His mom is top 100 mothers of all time !!! Imagine how much $75 was back then and the fact she was so ready to spend every last dollar to help her son. She traveled many many miles to achieve her goal of acquiring her son a pistol and she did exactly that and she deserves our prayers!

[@jakecal6802]

I googled $75 in 1941 and it said $3500+ or something ridiculous..

[@cavscout7113]

A private in the military only got paid about $50 per month back then. I hope he told his Mum about that pistol saving his life. What a lady!

[@davidbladen5667]

She deserves a medal for being a great mom

[@doseofzaza]

And to think the pistol saved his life as well is crazy

[@notagrd]

Nice post

[@julianengine4226]

pistol story about his mom is so sweet. brought a tear to my eye.

[@casey8899]

His mom actually saved his life on Iwo Jima getting that pistol for him! Great story! :)

[@wilrobotics]

Same lol

[@pointingdog7235]

@@casey8899 Really everyone involved with it really saved his life. His sisters who taught him how to kick ass, his Mother who brought him the .45 the gunsmith and the police officer's family who was kind enough to take her in for awhile. It breaks my heart to see how things are now in 2020 compared with then.

[@plombme]

Those onions really got me!

[@Genman510]

Hell of a man. Thank you for service.

[@anowitzke]

He has a book!! “Hell Yes, I’d Do It Again” by T. Fred Harvey It is amazing! I met him in person a few years ago. Amazing man!! Great at storytelling and kept me hooked for hours while my mother underwent brain surgery. Amazing man!

[@tomosmon3677]

U5f,mmm

[@jerrystell2252]

Ty for information

[@simonfowler698]

Shame the interview was cut short, did he roll onto a grenade? Sounds like a medal of honour story. Thanks for the info I will look up the book 😊

[@TacticalPortugee]

I wish they would let him tell his entire story instead of cutting them short, pretty bummed about that I think he had a lot more to talk about

[@whitejep]

Find an Editor if you need to cut the tape to fit a time table....

[@jandal8905]

I agree. I wanted to hear what happened after the grenade went off - his injuries and so forth.

[@dimixbikes]

I agree, why veterans chronicles would Capp someone at 20-30 minutes is a waste. We should want to know his whole story while he can still tell it... once these guys are gone they take their story with them.

[@nickdawn3985]

Agreed, great story but very disappointed in the way the interview was ran....

[@willfade7994]

This didn't even scratch the surface of it. I know. My Grandpa was in that war too.

[@bronsg1578]

I wish i could hear more from him. I like the simple stories. His mom bringing him a weapon the military wouldnt provide... not only is he my hero but his mother is too!

[@gikaradi8793]

his mom but also the gunsmith are our heros

[@gikaradi8793]

his mom but also the gunsmith and the police officer that offered accomodation to his mom.

[@Evergreen1400]

Gi Karadi. Our country really came together for the war effort it would have been refreshing to see compared to our society these days.

[@556user]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/joiTpH-ofsSje8U

[@sargintrock2538]

@@556user Most Excellent!

[@fredricjulien8738]

His mother deserved some kind of recognition from the Marines for enduring a 36 hr. bus ride to bring him that pistol.

[@millspgh]

Mother of the year right there! Saved her son’s life most likely. ❤️

[@kevind3185]

The Greatest Generation, grew up poor in the Great Depression, fought and won the largest most deadly war in history, put a man on the moon, and left all of us with opportunities they never had themselves.

[@only5186]

Well said Kevin! I fear soft men arr pissing it all away. We'll fight the good fight though you can damn sure bet on that.

[@scentlessapprentice88]

Oh yes we will. I second that.

[@jaym1244]

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain

[@tommymyers3183]

They are definitely the greatest generation but the most deadly war for Americans was the US Civil War.

[@kevind3185]

@@tommymyers3183 yes the American civil war was more deadly for Americans, but the American civil war was a very small scale war before the industrial revolution and the overall death toll is low in comparison to WWll.

[@willfade7994]

Thank you for sharing this. My Grandfather is a WWII Silver Star South Pacific Army Veteran. His commanding officer was General MacArthur. My Grandpa will celebrate his 97th birthday in December. The library of congress conducted an interview with my Grandpa in Owensville, Ohio on film about his time (3 years) at war. He was also flown to Washington, DC for a day to be honored, along with a few others, when the WWII Memorial opened. There were men my Grandpa considered brothers, men he never knew the fate of until he saw their names on those walls. God bless all Veterans. They're trying to erase our country's history and corrupt children's education. I fear there will come a day when people won't know the truth about this war anymore. This man mentioned Bougainville. My Grandpa was there! It was a series of battles in the South Pacific. My Grandpa was in the Philippine islands. He also was brought out to Pearl Harbor and saw the damage the Japanese had inflicted that fateful day. The day he toured Pearl Harbor and went through on a ship looking at capsized ships still on fire and all the devastation, was the first he heard that our country was going to war. It was the first he heard he was being sent to war. I enjoyed listening to this man's story very much, though it was cut very short and didn't scratch the surface of all this man went through. God bless him. Thank you very much for sharing. 🙏🏻🇺🇸🙏🏻

[@-.Steven]

21:23 "...I had 7 sisters and the Japanese were easy after growing up with 7 sisters..." Great interview! Great American Hero! Great American Family! Thank you for this video!

[@mattkaustickomments]

I’ll take your “Walked to school 10 miles in the snow uphill both ways”, and raise you a “Born on the railroad tracks and lived in a tent”. Wow, this guy started out tough and stayed that way!!!

[@Elitecommando501]

Tough circumstances create tough people. If you are raised with a silver spoon like the majority of America today. The people will generally be weaker minded and lazy.

[@RubyBandUSA]

I wish interviewer would have asked at least one question about that. Not to embarrass Mr Harvey, but to pay respect that episode of his life.

[@macbeavers6938]

Very disrespectful of you!

[@fromontario6954]

In a way his mom saved his life. That’s a pretty cool story.

[@danielmiller4763]

from Ontario I was just thinking about that

[@MinatoNamikaze607]

Gunsmith made it possible too. But mother is a hero no doubt about that

[@Ronnie-Jones]

most forbidden documentary.... Europa The Last Battle at archive . org

[@kevin6030]

That's a really damn cool story my friend really cool that's cool as cool gets if you're an American. Hoorah

[@vivians9392]

She was a tough, determined Mom! Brought him a real gun, stayed with him as long as possible, and rode 36 hours home on a bus...free of charge!

[@campo1964]

The Greatest Generation, we stand on the shoulders of these men.

[@swapmeetsheriffdonknottexp3046]

Yes! My grandfather was there and to cut back and raise a family and see ur cuzins go to Korea then ur kids go to Veitnam! My family. The Iraq. Then Afghanistan! US has used my family and raped them of their innocents!.

[@jonbush2370]

Nothing will move me to tears quicker than a story about the love of a Mother for her son..and firearms!

[@archienagle9066]

God bless the generation that has allowed us to live the way we do today. From a young veteran to a old veteran thank you for your service. I wanted to hear more of what he had to tell.

[@justinmills8084]

This man could have talked about anything and he spent all that time talking about his dear sweet mother. His mother must have ment the world to him.

[@paulredinger420]

It's too bad almost all these men are passing away. We are losing so much history. Thanks for interviewing these heroes for us. God bless you.

[@tedspang1945]

His sisters taught him how to fight, I can totally relate to that.

[@comptonghost9013]

Me too I grew up with 2 older sisters one was 3 years older one was 4 years older everyone said growing up with older brother is bad I can say for a fact older sisters are 10 times worse than older brothers your sisters don’t care about hurting you at all they beat my ass until they stopped growing and I kept growing to 6’4” so they stopped messing with me lol

[@MoreFormosa]

damn, he wanted to share, why didn't u give this hero 15 more minutes, he gave us several years of his life, great stories, amazing man, glad u captured what you were able to

[@frankcasey7423]

From one Marine to another, Semper Fi sir! And thank you for serving for us and our beautiful country! I think your awesome! And I loved listening to your amazing stories! I could listen all day!! It was a true pleasure listening to you, thank you very much! God bless you and take care now!

[@dondereng7751]

I've heard stories before of Marines carrying their own personal weapons into combat but Harvey's is unique. Another story of a hero among heroes. Semper Fi Marine! (the highest honor a Marine can get from another Marine).

[@richardmarkov2375]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate this man's mother. She is a Hero. Saved her son's life and did everything she could for this man. She saved him, he probably saved a group of men when serving, and they probably saved countless more. His mother is probably responsible for indirectly saving dozens of men. God bless her. 🇺🇸 And she raised a hero. 💜

[@rikijett310]

Thank you endlessly for your service Sir and may God bless you always!!!!! ✝️🇺🇸✝️

[@chestercallahan8856]

I could listen to him until he’s all out of things to say. All of the interviews make me feel that way.

[@hansg6336]

Incredible story of how his mother traveled so far to get him a sidearm and the people who assisted her on the journey.

[@Evergreen1400]

God bless our young men that went away to serve our great nation and all the mothers that sent their young sons off with love and support.

[@scottloftin1730]

Salute!!!! I love listening to these guys. I was a rifleman on the base USAF Honor Guard from 1987 -1990. Most of the men we laid to rest were WWII heros. We conducted around 100 funerals for men like this. After hearing all fo their stores, never been the same sense.

[@danielwilliams3978]

Hell of a nice man. Humble, Honest and very much a Patriot.

[@gryper1690]

Thanks for all of that, Fred. :) It's a real honor to still be able to listen to a story by a real Iwo vet.

[@gitanoespana7694]

This gentleman's mother sure did love him.

[@OwnedEpicStyle]

I’m sure it broke her heart knowing he was being sent to war

[@oldmanwinter3597]

@@OwnedEpicStyle Sent to war... UNARMED.

[@JohnDayDude]

What a wonderful man. My dad grew up in Texas and listening to Fred, I heard my dad's voice. Thank you for posting.

[@vivians9392]

I hear a fellow Texan, too, when I hear this man talk...love how he says Arizona, with a long "e"...

[@sonofasadie]

Thank you Greg for giving these men the respect they deserve in your interview. You sir are a gem

[@InTheDead]

I love how they let the veterans tell stories like this one with his mother without interruptions. Shows a lot of respect for something that means so much to them.

[@benlyons7752]

A mother’s love for her son. God bless this man and his blessed mother. Semper Fi!

[@rodneystanley7082]

Wow what a great story. Comanche Indian, poor, & a heart of gold mom. Loved it & wanted to hear more.

[@travisaldous2294]

honored to call him a friend. these interviews are short,only because it's the time the vets can spare at the conference or reunion where these are done

[@YouT00ber]

Ah that explains it. I want mooooooore !

[@firearmsfun4807]

Words can't express how much I'd love to meet him. Such a legend. Wish him many more years of good health.

[@scottdoran3112]

Priceless...thank you for the story, and your service.

[@jonmajarucon51]

I just love this man. Thank you for your incredible service. What an inspiration!!!!

[@annelang8337]

Nothing greater than the love a mother has for a son,Thank You Sir for your story i will never forget you

[@k27ism]

Thank you for your services in the South Pacific sir. Im deeply moved by your words and the life you lived to share this piece sir. GOD BLESS! ❤

[@ronlal652]

Went to school in Texas ,had a tough time with English grammar too. Thought French was easier. Went on to major in Chemistry with no problems. I know what this vet is saying about English .My English teacher took off 5 points on a test for not writing my last name first ,thus dropping me from a C to a D. Something I will never forget. Amen to this vet.

[@slick8038]

After this I suggest you watch Mr. Harvey speak on the Jocko Willink Podcast. They speak for hours on about his time in combat. Mr. Harvey has been through a lot

[@sargintrock2538]

Thanks fer the intell!

[@greenmarine5]

Yes! thanks for the intell!

[@sharkbaituahaful]

Thank God!

[@only5186]

Thanks! I love when he interviews vets

[@kylemc7843]

ive justt been wracking my brain where Ive heard the story of the 45 before.

[@thomasallen3818]

I enjoyed this interview. Mr. Harvey is a joy.

[@DavidWilliams-wr4wb]

I can listen to these old timers for endless hours talking about the old days , lids off to the old marines, soldiers, airmen and sailors for paving the way for us today , god bless em 🫡 🇺🇸

[@theartistformerlyknownaslu3871]

Gregg u guys need to extend these. Everyone’s asking for it and he had awesome story’s that coulda went on forever. These need to be at least a hour these are so valuable

[@neilgaddis6336]

I could listen to this guy talk for hours. Great interview, just wish it had lasted longer. Much respect and thanks for what you did for our Country.

[@Tech_Traveler]

I love his full interview. He really talks about his mother and sisters with a lot of respect.

[@johnmarlin4661]

My God there is a True US MARINE !!!

[@scottb7890]

His mother, the gunsmith and the police chief are all unsung heroes of the greatest generation.

[@seantbr2019]

I could sit there and let this man talk all day and just listen

[@BadGuyGoodAudioReviews]

His mom is a LEGEND

[@fritzbucher4726]

Absolutely amazing story. I love hearing vets story’s. Gives so much insight to what was going on at the time. Not just the war per-say. God bless all our vets

[@mikelballard5041]

Why in the world would they put a time limit on this man? I could sit there and listen to his story for a whole day. Also: how about his mom? Awesome.

[@DC-wg9rx]

I truly wish this interview wasn't limited on time. A true American hero telling a first hand account of American history. Semper Fi. 0331

[@andrewgoodshepherd3975]

0331? What MOS is that?

[@DC-wg9rx]

@@andrewgoodshepherd3975 machine gunner

[@andrewgoodshepherd3975]

@@DC-wg9rx oh ok, thanks! I appreciate it. No one wanted to carry them on a hump, but everyone wanted to be by them in a firefight! 👍

[@DC-wg9rx]

@@andrewgoodshepherd3975 it was a lot of fun I must admit. I did not always enjoy carrying the 240B but I can say I always enjoyed it in a firefight, even the one that sent me home early. 2009 OEF operation strike of the sword.

[@andrewgoodshepherd3975]

@@DC-wg9rx hm, wow! Good stuff, thank you brother! 👍👏💪

[@xvsj5833]

Thank you for sharing your story sacrifice, courage and service for freedom 🇺🇸

[@bradbiggs4283]

"Those rifles... The Army rejected 'em... So, the Marine Corps. got 'em." ... Almost 100 years later, and not much has changed. 🤣🤣🤣

[@syn58tim]

My dad was a Marine and he loved the Johnson light machine, they had a good rate of fire and was reliable

[@markhankins3023]

The ‘Marine’s ‘Dress Blue’ uniforms were turned down by US Army.

[@para1324]

Hero, full respect sir. And a Silver Star winner for covering that grenade. My Father was also island hopping but with the Army. He and my uncle both from August Ga. My uncle was in the Navy and operated landing craft it Iwo. 👍🇺🇸

[@randalburt7226]

Thank you for the stories of your dear Mother, your sisters, your policeman who gave your mom shelter, your battle & the man who honorably sold a gun to your mom for the war effort. Thank you, whomever recorded these historic truths.

[@jamesgutierrez3088]

Thank you for your service Marine.

[@tonybells131]

God Bless him ! The way his mom was treated so kindly, what a different world today. God Bless America, keep hope !

[@193322009]

I lost my Uncle in the Pacific during World War II. As a former Marine I really appreciate the sacrifices that generation made. More of today's generation needs to hear the stories these vets have to tell them. May, just maybe, it might get their zombie faces out of their cell phones for a short time! Semper Fi

[@romansroad2007]

That man still has some fight in him. Sad about the Sarg taken off with his 45 had Gun. Great mom. Bless her

[@davidcunico1673]

these experiences are priceless, it is our only connection to what combat was like, we can only imagine what they felt

[@Patchaddictedpolymath]

I wish these videos were 10 hours long. Great work AVC

[@iraqafghanistanmarine6905]

Semper Fidelis Mr. Harvey. Your story resonated with me and made me miss my fallen comrades. I salute you Sir.

[@mccuenoirfilms]

In 2019 I was with Fred Harvey on the top of Mount Suribachi. I was the photographer for The Best Defense Foundation at the time. I never dreamed I'd have a chance to visit IWO, let alone be there with someone like Fred. RIP my friend.

[@hannapnw]

Amazing. I could listen to him talk for hours.

[@forrestwebb8590]

Love our veterans, thank you for all that you've done, for this Great Country! Texas salutes you all!

[@kevin6030]

The good old 1911 save this marine's life. Thank you John Browning 🤠

[@markhankins3023]

What a good person, what a dedicated mother. Semper Fi Harvey!🇺🇸

[@mikeallred4390]

I love these videos. Im sure he could have talked for hours And wish I could have heard it all. Our Greatest Generation

[@d.g.n9392]

Thank you veterans and families for your sacrifices. Thank you for sharing your testimony Addendum: I grew up with sisters too. You got to be tough!

[@nancyhilliard1634]

Story about him and his Mom makes me cry what a wonderful Mom and this Marine is beautiful and good and kind God Bless him 🌷

[@aaroncole7736]

Wow. Incredible. Time capsules. Also, these guns have more history than we could fathom. The colt 45 a great example. Also how genuinely good people were back not so long ago.

[@theprofiler8531]

Incredible story about his mother and what she went through to get him a weapon that saved his life.

[@robpelick7460]

A polite, humble, honest and brave man. Men like him formed the backbone of our Marine Corps in WW2. God bless him and his comrades.

[@beebop9808]

Sad to listen to Mr. Harvey's stories and remember the people of the character he spoke of. And then see the piss poor excuse of what they have become is this country today. God bless you Mr. Harvey. Thank you for your sacrifice.

[@hardtruth2039]

What a treasure this old Devil Dog is. Semper Fi Marine!

[@conniegnesda9720]

Thank you for your service!

[@controlledburst]

This video process needs to be made publicly suggested for all war vets. Maybe through the VA. These first-person records are literally priceless.

[@songsingingman]

Thank you for your service and I loved the story about your mom. God love her she is what a mother should be.

[@MandatoryMiko]

Truly one of the greatest from the greatest generation.

[@wolflegion]

These are so wonderful to watch. Thank you so much for documenting these great men.

[@BobBob-yd8xf]

Absolutely when AMERICA was great!!!!!!! Awesome story!!!!!

[@billydow1971]

Thank you so much for getting these stories on record directly from the men and women whom lived it.

[@NSKINGS420]

God Bless this man & God bless his Mother🙏🏽

[@ccoopify]

I enjoy these stories on various channels. My G-Pa was at Iwo I wish I had learned about his experience.

[@johnfielding001]

Thanks for bringing us such wonderful interviews. It’s a shame that this one had to be cut short.

[@sammyd5865]

Thanks for making these videos! I have watched every single video, some of them several times. True heroes, all of them. My grandfather was in the Navy during WW2, serving mainly in and around the Philippines. He was a boxer on the ship as well. All these soldiers make me feel extremely proud to be an American! Nowadays, so many Americans take what we have for granted. Many have no clue what these men and women went through and the sacrifices they made for us to have our freedom.

[@clonetrooper84]

You are no coward. YOU ARE A HERO. I salute you sir! Thank you for your service!

[@renelopez2244]

What a great story. Thanks for the interview & more importantly his service

[@burb122]

Bless you sir. Thank you so much for your service

[@ephilippos]

You sure have a Hell of a Mum SIr!!! Congrats & much respect!

[@kaycox5555]

Would've loved to hear more from him. His aunts & mom sound WONDERFUL & TOUGH!

[@joebones7237]

I wish you didn’t cut this man off. You might not have appreciated his stories because they weren’t the blood and gore you were hoping for but this man is an American treasure and I could have listened to him talk about anything and been grateful I got the chance to hear him speak. Appreciate these men for who they are/were not just for what they did. They accomplished what they did because of who they were. Be a better interviewer but thank you for giving them the chance to speak and preserve their stories.

[@davidca96]

I could listen to this man tell me every detail he can still remember for hours and hours.

[@mattwiskow2671]

Thank you for making these

[@abc123hshdhd8w]

These documentaries are amazing. Why the heck are they so short? These should go on for hours

[@edwardward5481]

A true hero. I would have liked to have heard more.

[@samrichmond9709]

These are great stories! Great to capture these !

[@justaghost3396]

God bless this man and his sweet mother's soul . Thank you for your service .