John Keith Wells

Lt. Wells landed on the island of Iwo Jima and was quickly given the task of leading an assault at the base of Mount Suribachi. It was during this attack that Wells was awarded the Navy Cross (the 2nd highest award for valor). Part of his citation would read: "by his leadership and indomitable fighting spirit, 1st Lt Wells contributed materially to the destruction of at least twenty-five Japanese emplacements . . ..". During this attack Wells was wounded and evacuated to a hospital ship. 1st Lt. Wells would escape the hospital ship by convincing a corpsman to supply with him sulfa powder and morphine so he could join his platoon shortly after the first flag raising. Once Wells reached the base of Mt. Suribachi he was helped to the summit by one of the flag raisers, Charles Lindberg. When his commanding officer (Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson) learned of this, he ordered Wells to relinquish command of the platoon and return to the aid station. Command was then passed to Sgt. Ernest "Boots" Thomas (KIA several days later). Wells remained on the island, although unable to lead his troops, until the island was declared secure.

After World War II, Wells returned to Texas and enrolled at Texas Tech College and obtained a degree in Petroleum Geology in the summer of 1948. In 1959, 1st Lt. Wells was honorarily retired as a Major in the Marine Reserves. He wrote a memoir about his command of and war time experiences with 3rd Platoon, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division entitled "Give Me 50 Marines Not Afraid to Die: Iwo Jima". Wells died February 11, 2016, at the age of 94 in Arvada, Colorado.^[2]

• The Bloody Battle for Suribachi: The Amazing Story of Iwo Jima that Inspired Flags of Our Fathers; Wheeler, Richard. Skyhorse Publishing, October 2007.
• The Battle for Iwo Jima; Wright, Derrick. Sutton Publishing, 1999.