Two Iwo Jima Veterans Reunite at Memorial Day Parade in D.C.
Don Graves (101) and William "Billy" Byrd (100), two surviving U.S. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, they immediately engaged in playful trash talking. Graves, a former flamethrower operator and the only survivor from his battalion, recalled the brutal fighting. Byrd, a Mississippi sharecropper's son, reflected on his luck surviving the front lines. Their reunion highlighted their enduring bond and the sacrifices of their generation.
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81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, which captured Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, reunited on Memorial Day 2026 in Washington, D.C., as Honorary Grand Marshals of the National Memorial Day Parade. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began playful banter upon seeing each other. Graves, a flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recounted the brutal fighting: 335 Marines went in, only 18 came off. He found God on the beach at Iwo Jima. Byrd, a Mississippi native who enlisted at 18, recalled being 'so lucky' to survive. The reunion marked the first time they had seen each other in years, and Graves sang 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Navy Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving U.S. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, which captured Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 as Honorary Grand Marshals of the National Memorial Day Parade. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began good-natured trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recounted the horrific conditions on Iwo Jima, where 335 Marines went in and only 18 came off. Byrd, a sharecropper's son from Mississippi, recalled his luck in surviving frontline combat. The reunion highlighted their enduring bond and the sacrifices of their generation.
Air Force Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite at Memorial Day parade and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—the unit tasked with capturing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began good-natured trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a former flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the horrific casualties: 335 Marines went in, only 18 came off. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, described his luck surviving frontline combat. The reunion marked 81 years since Iwo Jima was declared secure. Graves sang 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Air Force Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, the pair immediately began good-natured trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a former flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the brutal fighting on Iwo Jima, where 335 Marines went in and only 18 came off. Byrd, a Mississippi native who enlisted in 1943, expressed gratitude for surviving. The reunion highlighted their enduring bond and the sacrifices of their generation.
Military Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, which captured Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, reunited as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. on May 26, 2026. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began playful trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recounted the horrific conditions on Iwo Jima, including being pinned on the beach for hours and taking three days to advance 540 feet. Byrd, a Mississippi native, recalled his luck in surviving frontline combat. The reunion marked 81 years since the island was declared secure.
Air Force Times81 Years After Iwo Jima, Two Marine Veterans Reunite at Memorial Day Parade and Immediately Start Trash Talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—the unit tasked with capturing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the battle and years since they last saw each other, 101-year-old Don Graves and 100-year-old William 'Billy' Byrd immediately began playful trash talking. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower in his battalion to survive the battle, noting that of 335 Marines, only 18 came off the island. Byrd, a Mississippi native and son of sharecroppers, enlisted at 18 and recalled being 'so lucky' to survive. Graves, who became a minister after the war, sang 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Marine Corps Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, the pair immediately began playful trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a former flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the horrific conditions on the beach and his subsequent turn to ministry. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, reflected on his luck surviving the front lines. The reunion marked the first time they had seen each other in years, and Graves performed 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Navy Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, their reunion was marked by immediate good-natured trash talk. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower operator in his battalion to survive the battle, which saw 335 Marines go in and only 18 come off. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, enlisted at 18 and fought on the front lines. Graves sang 'God Bless America' at the parade. The article highlights their personal stories, the brutality of the battle, and the enduring bond between the veterans.
Navy Times81 Years After Iwo Jima, Two Marine Veterans Reunite on Memorial Day and Immediately Start Trash Talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—the unit tasked with capturing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima—reunited on Memorial Day 2026 in Washington, D.C., as Honorary Grand Marshals of the National Memorial Day Parade. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began good-natured trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower in his battalion to survive the battle, noting that of 335 Marines, only 18 came off the island. He recalled lying on the beach and finding God. Byrd, a Mississippi native and son of sharecroppers, enlisted at 18 and said the only thing he thought about was going home. Graves sang 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Army Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, their reunion was marked by immediate good-natured trash talk. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower in his battalion to survive the battle, noting that of 335 Marines, only 18 came off the island. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, recalled his luck in surviving frontline combat. The article highlights their personal stories, including Graves finding God on the beach at Iwo Jima and Byrd's regret at not getting comrades' contact information after the war.
Army Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
On Memorial Day 2026, two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, their reunion was marked by immediate good-natured trash talk. Graves, a former flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the horrific conditions on the beach and his subsequent turn to ministry. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, spoke of his luck surviving frontline combat. The article highlights their personal histories, the brutal statistics of the battle, and the enduring bond between the veterans.
Military Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, their reunion was marked by playful trash talk rather than sentimentality. Graves, a former flamethrower who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the brutal fighting on Iwo Jima, including being pinned on the beach for hours and taking three days to advance 540 feet. Byrd, a Mississippi native who enlisted in 1943, expressed regret at not getting contact information from fellow Marines after the war. The article highlights their personal stories, the high casualty rate (335 Marines went in, 18 came off), and their enduring bond.
Army Times81 Years After Iwo Jima, Two Marine Veterans Reunite at Memorial Day Parade and Immediately Start Trash Talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—the unit tasked with capturing Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began playful trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower in his battalion to survive the battle, noting that of 335 Marines, only 18 came off the island. Byrd, a Mississippi native and son of sharecroppers, enlisted at 18 and recalled being 'so lucky' to survive. Graves, who became a minister after the war, sang 'God Bless America' at the parade. The reunion marked 81 years since Iwo Jima was declared secure.
Marine Corps Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving U.S. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division—Don Graves (101) and William 'Billy' Byrd (100)—reunited in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day 2026 to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade. Despite 81 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, the pair immediately began playful trash talking upon seeing each other. Graves, a former flamethrower operator who was the only one in his battalion to survive the battle, recalled the horrific fighting on the beach and his subsequent turn to ministry. Byrd, a Mississippi native and sharecropper's son, spoke of his luck surviving the front lines. The reunion highlighted their enduring bond and the sacrifices of their generation.
Military Times81 years after Iwo Jima, two Marines reunite on Memorial Day and immediately start trash talking
Two surviving Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, which captured Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, reunited as Honorary Grand Marshals for the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. Don Graves, 101, and William 'Billy' Byrd, 100, immediately began playful trash talk upon seeing each other. Graves, a Detroit native who joined the Marines at 17, was the only flamethrower in his battalion to survive the battle, noting that of 335 Marines, only 18 came off the island. He carried a 72-pound flamethrower ashore on Feb. 19, 1945, and later became a minister after finding God on the beach. Byrd, a Mississippi sharecropper's son who enlisted at 18, fought on the front lines and considered himself lucky to survive. Graves belted out 'God Bless America' at the parade.
Marine Corps Times