The trap had been set. Though simple, the line strung across the path with its pebble-filled C-ration cans was enough to alert of approaching enemies.
It was May, 1945, and the surviving men of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Marines had withdrawn from Sugar Loaf Hill, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War, and had made their way to the shore of Naha Bay, Okinawa. After being on the battle line for over a month, the company took refuge in an abandoned brick-making compound in order to reorganize and gain some much needed rest. Corporal Timothy Eldridge, Private First Class (PFC) Harold Fugett, and PFC Ernest Walker, machine gunners, set up their position in a conical brick oven. This oven stood on a narrow dirt road, the only entrance to the brickyard. The three were in a good position to protect the troops from any late night invaders. They had set the trap and had hoped to get some sleep.
