My name is Tom Lane and I am the nephew of John Lane who served on Tarawa (when he was 17). He co-authored a book that some of you may have read entitled, "76 hours - The Battle of Tarawa." I just wanted to add a brief contribution and thank you for this wonderful website. John passed in 2003 and is missed by his family. I had the chance to interview him on video in which he recounted his experiences on Tarawa as well as Saipan and Tinian. Without a doubt, this period in his life had a profound effect on the remainder of his life. I have contributed this video to the Museum of the Pacific (Fredericksburg, TX). It is important to have these "living" testaments to these men. Moreover, my children (when they are old enough) will know that the life they lead today is a reflection of the sacrifices these men made during these horrible times.
It never ceases to amaze me the bravery these men displayed and never flinched in the worst of times. Along these lines, the courage these Marine's exhibited in repeatedly confronting beachheads knowing what they faced is daunting - truly, the Marines are the best of the best.
My contact information is as follows:
Tom Lane, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
University of California, Irvine
Tel: (949) 824-5878
email: tlane@uci.edu