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friday freidank : surfing iwo jima, 1945 

'Friday' Freidank : Surfing Iwo Jima, 1945.
Extracts and photographs from:
The Log 1943-1945.
Eighth United States Naval Construction Regiment.

Hathitrust
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015027909087

Introduction
The Pacific island of Iwo Jima is known as one of the most brutal battles of the World War 2.
'Friday' Freidank took his hollow board from Hawaii to the island in 1945, 20 years before the famous the surfing-under-fire sequence as depicted in
Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalse Now (1979).

wikipedia.org: Battle of Iwo Jima
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima

In August of 2005, Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner spent five and a half weeks earning two credits on the $100 million-plus production of Flags of Our Fathers.
Jay was responsible for both safety and realism in recreating the famous battle on the tropical shores of Iwo Jima, but it wasn’t all work and worry.
During his time on the shoot Jay had access to surprisingly good waves along the beach where the invasion was re-created.


Surfermag.com, posted July 22, 2010.
http://www.surfermag.com/features/icelandsurfing/#2ZvzZKK0CvmP2crt.97

Page 10
FREIDANK:
"Friday's" service to Uncle Sam started in April, 1942.
His best-liked duties were at the USNR Air Base, Los Alamitos, Calif., after which he went to midshipman school at New York
City, Camp Peary, the 8th Naval District with headquarters at New Orleans, Camp Parks, Pearl Harbor, and the 8th Regiment.
He graduated from Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1938 and is still single.





Page 12

REGIMENTAL HISTORY

...
[Oahu, 1944] Almost every Sunday called forth a swimming party to a more remote part of the island.
Occasionally, a big party was arranged and provided everyone with a good time; of course, the refreshments (beer, pop, sandwiches, etc.) helped immeasurably.
For some reason, most of the fellows preferred the beaches on the Ewa side of the island Nanakuli and Maile.

Page 13
Weiss and Hansen were left with the equipment ship and most of us left Pearl Harbor the middle of February [1945].
Bridges went back to the states just before we left.
We had an eight-day stopover at Eniwetok and enjoyed the recreation center at Parry Island.
We had known Iwo Jima was our destination shortly after leaving Pearl Harbor and we arrived in the middle of March.
We were soon more than well acquainted with fox-hole life.

Page 20

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I
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 Page 42
[Imo Jima] and remember those swimming parties after work, the belly-tank speedboat and Friday's surfboard . . . and remember how we didn't seem to be able to get rid of Commander Taggart as he kept popping up all the time on those weekend trips from Tinian. . . Iwo, you fascinating Island.





Page 44









The Log 1943-1945.
Eighth United States Naval Construction Regiment.

Hathitrust
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015027909087
.
                     

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Geoff Cater (2016) : Friday Freidank : Surfing Iwo Jima, 1945.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1945_Log_USN_Eighth_Construction_Fleet.html