Lee Robinson

Prepared by the Witnesses of War team

Lee Robinson was born in February 1924 and grew up on a farm in Idaho. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at eighteen. He completed training in San Diego, California, before being sent to the Pacific, where his service included a dangerous encounter on Choiseul in the Solomon Islands.

In February 1945, Robinson fought as a rifleman with the 5th Marine Division during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He recalled learning their destination only four or five days before reaching the island. The fighting devastated his squad: of approximately eleven men, six were killed, and only two—including Robinson—left the island under their own power. Decades later, remembering those losses still brought him to tears.

The raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi provided a moment of encouragement amid the battle. Robinson remembered the excitement it brought, although fighting continued across the island. He remained on Iwo Jima for thirty-three days before finally boarding a ship to leave. His military decorations included the Bronze Star Medal.

After the war, Robinson built a career in forestry, eventually becoming vice president responsible for timberlands at Longview Fibre Company. He settled in Longview, Washington, and raised seven children. Alongside preserving his wartime memories, he wrote poetry for his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.