Robert David Norton

In the invasion of Iwo Jima, the Fourth Marine Division was charged with landing on and securing the Yellow and Blue Beaches – the right of the Marine line, anchoring on the Quarry. Lieutenant Colonel Justice Chambers and the Third Battalion, 25th Marines would be first ashore on Beach Blue 2 and would immediately pivot to the right, attacking strong Japanese fortifications in the Quarry and the Boat Basin. Tough going was anticipated, but nothing could have prepared BLT 3-25 for what awaited them on the beach.

Love Company followed Item and King companies ashore; by the time they hit Blue Beach “the entire landing area from Blue Beaches south and inland to the eastern edge of the airstrip was under heavy and consistent enemy mortar, rocket, and artillery fire.” They managed to grind forward to a point 100 yards short of their objective. At 1630 hours, Love Company was told to attack and hold the high ground overlooking the Quarry; the attack took two hours, and once atop the ridge, accurate Japanese small-arms fire “inflicted heavy casualties upon our troops that had gained the high ground.” The company managed to hang on until relieved by B/1/24th Marines just before midnight. They had landed with seven officers and 212 men; five officers and 145 men returned to the reserve area.

Corporal Robert D. Norton was among those lost on the first day ashore – he simply disappeared and was never seen again.  Nothing else is currently known about his fate; he was ultimately declared dead on 20 February 1946.