They Said One Man Could'nt Do It — Until His Winchester Model 12 Killed 62 Japanese in 3 Hours

Video Description

February 19, 1945, Iwo Jima. Private Vincent Castellano crouched in volcanic ash, gripping a Winchester Model 12 shotgun that could get him court-martialed. Three hundred yards ahead, Japanese caves had already swallowed 18 Marines from his company in six days. His best friend Bobby Morrison—killed by a bullet through the eye because the M1 Garand, magnificent at 500 yards, was useless at 15 feet in pitch-black tunnels. Standard doctrine was killing Marines faster than enemy bullets. Vinnie had learned to hunt ducks on the Delaware Bay with that Winchester. Nine lead balls per shell. Perfect for close quarters. Against regulations? Absolutely. Court-martial offense? Definitely. Did he care? Not when his brothers were dying. In four hours, he cleared four cave complexes alone. 62 confirmed kills. The tactic spread through desperate Marines tired of following manuals into death. Within weeks, casualty rates dropped 63%. Japan filed a diplomatic protest—the weapon was too effective. The Marine Corps never officially recognized him. No medal. No commendation. Vinnie went home to Philadelphia, ran his father's butcher shop for 47 years, and never spoke about the war. But his innovation saved an estimated 2,400 American lives across Korea, Vietnam, and beyond. Sometimes the greatest heroes just refuse to watch good men die for bad doctrine.