Legends of the 5th Marine Division
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lieutenant general keller e. rockeyKeller Emrick Rockey was born in Columbus City, Indiana on 22 September 1888. Appointed from Pennsylvania in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in November 1913 Completing The Basic School, he reported for sea duty, serving in succession on board USS Nebraska then USS Nevada. In August 1916, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. During World War I, he served with the Fifth Marine Regiment in France and was temporarily promoted to Captain in May 1917, which was followed by a promotion to Major in July 1918. After the war, he was reverted to the rank of Captain and served with First Provisional Brigade Marines in Haiti. Returning to the U.S. in August 1922, he was assigned to the Marine Barracks at Washington, D.C., which was followed with a tour at Headquarters, Marine Corps. During World War II, Rockey was assigned as Director, Division of Plans and Policies at Headquarters, Marine Corps. In March 1942, he was temporarily promoted to Brigadier General and that August became the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. In September 1942, he received another temporary promotion to Major General. In February 1944, he became Commanding General, 5th Marine Division and also led the Third Amphibious Corps. During February-March 1945, he participated in the Battle for Iwo Jima. In September 1946, he was assigned as the Commanding General, Department of the Pacific, San Francisco, California. After being temporarily promoted to Lieutenant General, he became Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic located at Norfolk, Virginia. In July 1949, he was reverted to the rank of Major General and served as Commanding General, Department of the Pacific located at San Francisco, California. In September 1950, he retired and was promoted to Lieutenant General on the retired list. Keller E. Rockey died on 6 June 1970 is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
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sergeant walter "pappy" allenWalter Henry Allen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 17, 1915. He was a veteran Marine Parachutist before joining the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. Allen served a as Squad Leader in Company H, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines while on Iwo Jima. He was the oldest man in 1st Platoon and he was a true "Old Corps Marine". On February 22, 1945, while leading his squad through heavy small arms and artillery fire in an assault on a strongly defended enemy position, Sergeant Allen and his men became isolated in front of his platoon which received heavy casualties, including the Platoon Leader. With his squad vulnerable on the flanks and in the rear, he repeatedly exposed himself to the heavy fire while deploying his squad to cover the platoon front and, after contacting units on his left and right, renewed the attack on his own initiative, knocking out at least two pillboxes and many other hostile installations. He then sent word of the situation to his Company Commander and, despite additional casualties among his men, captured the enemy position and continued to advance along the platoon front until ordered to stop. His aggressive leadership and determined fighting spirit earned him the Navy Cross for his actions. He continued his service after the war and served with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in Korea. He was killed in action by enemy small arms fire on April 23, 1951 and received a posthumous Bronze Star with "V" device.
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gunnery sergeant john basiloneJohn Basilone was born in Buffalo, New York on November 4, 1916. He served three years in the United States Army with duty in the Philippines before joining the Marine Corps in 1940. After attending training, Basilone deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and the Solomon Islands with D Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. On Guadalcanal, during the Battle for Henderson Field, his unit came under attack by a regiment of approximately 3,000 Japanese soldiers. On October 24, 1942, Japanese forces began a frontal attack using machine guns, grenades, and mortars against the American heavy machine guns. Basilone commanded two sections of machine guns that fought for the next two days until only Basilone and two other Marines were left fighting. Basilone moved an extra gun into position and maintained continual fire against the incoming Japanese forces. He then repaired and manned another machine gun, holding the defensive line until replacements arrived. As the battle raged, ammunition became critically low. With supply lines cut off, Basilone fought through hostile ground to resupply his gunners with urgently needed ammunition. Toward the dawn of the battle, Basilone fought Japanese soldiers using only a .45 pistol. By the end of the engagement, the Japanese regiment was virtually annihilated. For his actions during this battle, Basilone received the Medal of Honor. After Guadalcanal, he returned to the United States and participated in a war bond tour. After he requested a return to the fleet, he was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division for the invasion of Iwo Jima. Basilone was killed in action on February 19, 1945, the first day of the Battle of Iwo Jima, after which he was posthumously honored with the Navy Cross. He was the only enlisted Marine in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. He has received many honors including being the namesake for streets, military locations and a United States Navy destroyer. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
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corporal charles beidlemanCharles Gerald Beidleman was born in Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania on May 9, 1925. He enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 years of age and was ordered to Parris Island, South Carolina, where he received his recruit training. He was stationed at New River, North Carolina and Camp Wheeler. He took part in the invasions of Vella LaVella and Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. He was wounded on Bougainville with Company K of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment and was evacuated to Guam. Back in the states, Beidleman joined the newly organized 5th Marine Division in February 1944 at Camp Pendleton. He landed at Green Beach on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 with the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines. On February 23, Corporal Beidleman helped in securing the summit of Mount Suribachi. He received his second, third and fourth Purple Hearts on Iwo Jima being wounded in the chin, lungs and hip. He was evacuated from Iwo on March 10 and discharged from the Marine Corps on May 16, 1946. After the war, he was a mechanic for the former Frank & Stessel Silk Mill for many years. In 1975 for the 30th anniversary of the battle for Iwo Jima, he was invited by President Ford to a lunch at the White House with other members of the 28th Marines who were a part of the fight for Mt. Suribachi. He died on September 27, 2009 in Lehigh Township, Pennsylvania.
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corporal charles berryCharles Joseph Berry was born in Lorain, Ohio, on July 10, 1923. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 1, 1941 when he was 18 years of age and was ordered to Parris Island, South Carolina, where he received his recruit training. He was staioned in Quantico, Virginia and then New River, North Carolina before being sent with 1st Parachute Battalion to fight in the Solomon Islands. After leaving the Solomons he went on to fight at Bougainville and then went to Guadalcanal for a short time before being sent back to the states. Berry joined the newly organized 5th Marine Division in early 1944. He landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 as part of a machine gun crew with the 26th Marines. On March 3, infiltrating Japanese soldiers launched a surprise night attack in an attempt to overrun Berry's position. Corporal Berry was part of a fierce hand grenade duel until an enemy grenade landed in his foxhole. Determined to save the lives of his comrades, he unhesitatingly sacrificed himself by diving upon the enemy grende. His unflinching actions posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor. Initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, he was reinterred in Elmwood Cemetery, Lorain, Ohio, in 1948.
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corporal harlon blockHarlon Henry Block was born in Yorktown, Texas on November 6, 1924. Block and twelve of his high school football teammates enlisted in the Marine Corps on February 18, 1943. After basic training in San Deigo, he took parachute training and qualified as a Paramarine. Block served with the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment and participated in the Bougainville Campaign. The parachute regiment disbanded on February 29, 1944 and he was sent back to San Diego where he joined Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. Block landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. He participated in the second flag-raising on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. He idolized his squad leader, Sergeant Michael Strank, who was killed on March 1. Block, the assistant squad leader, assumed command of the rifle squad after Strank's death, but hours later, Block was fatally wounded by a mortar blast as he and his squad were attacking toward Nishi Ridge. His last words were, "They killed me!" Block was originally buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, and then re-interred in Weslaco in January 1949. His body was moved in 1995 to a burial place near to the Iwo Jima Monument in Harlingen, Texas.
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pharmacist's mate second class
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private first class william caddyWilliam Robert Caddy was born in Quincy, Massachusetts on 8 August 1925. Caddy was inducted into the Marine Corps through the Selective Service system. He received his recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina firing a score of 305 with the service rifle to qualify as a sharpshooter. Following further training at Camp Lejeune, Caddy was assigned to a rifle company in the new 5th Marine Division which was then forming. Caddy landed with Company I, 3d Battalion, 28th Marines on Iwo Jima and endured 12 days of treacherous fighting. On March 3, Caddy, his platoon leader, and his acting platoon sergeant, were advancing against Japanese machine-gun and small arms fire in an isolated sector. Seeking temporary refuge, the three Marines dropped into a shell hole where they were immediately pinned down by a well-concealed enemy sniper. After several unsuccessful attempts to advance further, Caddy and his lieutenant engaged in a furious hand grenade battle with the defending Japanese. When an enemy grenade landed in their hole, Pfc Caddy immediately covered it with his body and absorbed the deadly fragments. He laid down his life in order that his platoon leader and platoon sergeant might live. His heroic bravery and sacrifice earned him the Medal of Honor. Caddy was initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima and was later reinterred in the U.S. National Cemetery at Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1948.
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private first class D. A. carsonD. A. Carson was from Texarkana, Texas. He was a veteran of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment before joining the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. With the 5th Division, Carson served with Company D, Second Battalion, 28th Marines. On March 1, 1945 when his assault squad and an attached machine gun squad had suffered seven casualties and were pinned down by machine-gun fire from an enemy pillbox, Private First Class Carson crawled thirty yards through intense fire to a position close to the side of the pillbox. Although the Japanese observed him and were attempting to prevent him from reaching it with a barrage of hand grenades, he charged the pillbox and, grasping the enemy machine gun by the barrel, pulled it from the embrasure, thus enabling the remainder of his squad to advance and neutralize hostile resistance in that sector. Private First Class Carson's initiative and valor under extremely hazardous conditions earned him the Navy Cross for his actions.
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1st lieutenant angelo "charlie" conaAngelo M. "Charlie" Cona was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He was a veteran of the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment before joining the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. Cona was a Platoon Leader attached to Company H, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines in the battle for Iwo Jima. On February 22, 1945, Cona's platoon was in an urgent situation when his decimated platoon was pinned down in assault by hostile machine-gun barrages from a pillbox near Motoyama #1. 1st Lieutenant Cona, ordering his men to follow, rushed the pillbox through a hail of Japanese bullets, firing as he ran and drawing the brunt of the hostile fire until he fell, mortally wounded. By his courage, he enabled his platoon to advance and capture the enemy position, thereby contributing materially to his company's success in that area. His bold initiative and disregard for his own safety earned him the Navy Cross. He was initially buried in Grave 631, Row 2, Plot 3 in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery. In 1947, 1st Lieutenant Cona was returned home to Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
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captain robert dunlapRobert Hugo Dunlap was born in Abingdon, Illinois, on October 19, 1920. He graduated from Monmouth College in May 1942 with a degree in Economics and Business. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on March 5, 1942 while still a student at Monmouth. He was called to active duty in May 1942 and transferred to the Officer Candidates Class at Quantico, Virginia. He underwent parachute training and was assigned to the 3d Parachute Battalion. Advancing to 1st Lieutenant in April 1943, he took part in the invasions of Vella LaVella and Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. He returned to the United States in March 1944 to join the 5th Marine Division. On October 2, 1944, he was promoted to Captain and became Commanding Officer, Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines. The day after the Iwo Jima landing, Dunlap led his company through a hail of artillery, mortar, rifle and machine gun fire uphill toward a series of steep cliffs and enemy-held caves. When finally the volume of enemy fire became too intense to advance, Captain Dunlap held up his company and crawled alone approximately 200 yards forward of his front lines, while his men watched in fear and admiration. From this position at the base of a cliff, about 50 yards from the Japanese lines, Dunlap spotted the enemy gun positions and returned to his own lines to relay the vital information. He worked without rest for two days and two nights under constant enemy fire, skillfully directing attacks against the almost impregnable enemy positions. On February 26, Dunlap was shot in the left hip and evacuated from Iwo Jima. The Medal of Honor was awarded by President Harry S. Truman to Captain Dunlap in ceremonies at the White House. He retired with the rank of major on December 1, 1946. Major Dunlap passed away on March 24, 2000 and was laid to rest in Warren County Memorial Park in Monmouth, Illinois.
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corporal rene gagnonRené Arthur Gagnon was born in Manchester, New Hampshire on March 7, 1925. René was drafted in 1943 and elected to join the Marine Corps. Gagnon was with the Military Police Company of the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton and then transferred to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment. On February 19, 1945, Gagnon landed on Green Beach 1 on Iwo Jima. Four days later, Gagnon participated in the second flag raising. After Iwo Jima was secured, he was ordered to Washington, D.C. for appearances in connection with the "7th War Loan" drive in May and June 1945. The tour was through several major U.S cities raising billions of desperately needed dollars to help win the war. He appeared in two films about the battle: To the Shores of Iwo Jima and Sands of Iwo Jima, the latter with fellow surviving flag raisers Bradley and Hayes. He worked at menial jobs the rest of his life, but was fired from most of them. In his latter years Gagnon only participated in events that were at his wife's urging as she enjoyed the limelight, whereas he no longer did. Rene Gagnon died on October 12, 1979 in Manchester, New Hampshire. He was buried at Mount Calvary Mausoleum. At the request of his widow, his remains were re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery on July 7, 1981.
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sergeant henry "hank" hansenHenry Oliver Hansen was born in Somerville, Massachusetts on December 14, 1919. He joined the Marines at age 18 and went through training as a paramarine. Hansen was one of six Marines who raised the first American flag over Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. A second group later replaced the first flag with a larger one, and a photograph of the second flag raising by Joe Rosenthal became famous. Hansen was killed in action seven days after the flags were raised on March 1, 1945. After the battle, there was disagreement over the identity of the man at the base of the flagpole in the famous photograph of the second flag-raising. René Gagnon and John Bradley had initially identified this man as Hansen. However, over a year and a half later, a Congressional investigation revealed that the man was actually Corporal Harlon Block and not Hansen. Fellow paramarine Ira Hayes was instrumental in proving Block's presence in the famous photo. In fact, Hayes had told Marine officials that the sixth flag raiser was Block, but as the Marines had already made announcements that Hansen had been identified, the enlisted men were told to say nothing. Hansen is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific near Honolulu on the island of Oahu. The Henry O. Hansen Memorial Park, in his home town of Somerville was named in his honor in June 2004.
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sergeant william harrellWilliam George Harrell was born in Rio Grande City, Texas on June 26, 1922. He went to Texas A&M for two years prior to his enlistment in the Marine Corps on July 3, 1942. Harrell departed for overseas duty in February 1943 with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, as an armorer. He landed on Iwo Jima where he would earn the Medal of Honor. On the night of March 3, Sgt. Harrell and another man were in a long narrow two-man foxhole on a ridge 20 yards forward of the company command post. Beyond the foxhole the ridge fell off into a ravine which was in Japanese territory. Because of their nearness to the enemy, the two men took turns standing one-hour watches throughout the night. During the night, an initial Japanese attack was repulsed, but the other Marine's weapon jammed and he returned to the command post to obtain another. While he was gone, the enemy managed to get a grenade in the foxhole, which exploded, blowing off Harrell's left hand. The second Marine returned just as the Japanese were swarming up the foxhole and together he and Sgt. Harrell drove them off. Thinking he was dying due to the severity of his wounds and saber cuts suffered in the last attack, Harrell ordered his companion to get to safety. Two more Japanese charged the foxhole, setting off another grenade. As Sgt. Harrell attempted to push it out of the hole it exploded, tearing off his right hand. He was evacuated from Iwo Jima and treated at various field hospitals prior to his arrival in the United States. He was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman at the White House on October 5, 1945. Harrell was discharged from the Marine Corps because of disability resulting from his wounds. Sergeant Harrell died on August 9, 1964 and was laid to rest in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
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corporal ira hayesIra Hamilton Hayes was born in Sacaton, Arizona, a town located in the Gila River Indian Community on January 12, 1923. He was a Pima Native American who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on August 24, 1942. Hayes went on to become a paramarine with Company B, 3rd Parachute Battalion. On March 14, 1943, Hayes sailed for New Caledonia, seeing combat in the Bougainville Campaign. The Marine Corps parachute units were disbanded in February 1944, and Hayes transferred to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. On February 19, 1945, the 5th Marine Division landed on Iwo Jima where Hayes was among the Marines who raised the second flag on Mount Suribachi. As a result of Joe Rosenthal's photograph, Hayes and the other flag raisers became national heroes in the United States. He was instrumental in confirming the identity of one of his fellow Marines in the photograph, Harlon Block. Hayes was never comfortable with his new-found fame and after his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps he descended into alcoholism. He died of exposure and alcohol poisoning on January 24, 1955 after a night of drinking, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Hayes has been commemorated in art and film, portraying himself in the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima. His story was the subject of the 1961 film The Outsider, and inspired Peter La Farge's song "The Ballad of Ira Hayes".
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CAPTAIN FRED HAYNESFred E. Haynes, Jr. was born January 5, 1921 in Dallas, Texas. He worked summers at The Dallas Morning News in the advertising department while earning his bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University where he was student body president in 1942. He served as an officer with the 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division on Iwo Jima. Haynes served in Korea in 1954 as the Executive Officer, Second Battalion, lst Marine Regiment. In Vietnam, 1966-67, he served as both Commanding Officer, 5th Marine Regiment, and as Chief of Staff, Task Force X-Ray, 1st Marine Division. As a general officer he served as Legislative Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and subsequently commanded both the 2nd and 3rd Marine Divisions. With extensive experience handling prisoners of war, General Haynes also advised presidential candidates, as well as sitting presidents, on the treatment of those captured during battle. He strongly advocated humane treatment of all prisoners, not only because he believed "it was the moral thing to do", but also because humane treatment often provided valuable intelligence at a time when the lives of servicemen and women depended on it. Haynes retired as a Marine Corps Major General. General Haynes, along with co-author James A. Warren, wrote the best-selling book, The Lions of Iwo Jima. He was also the founder of the Iwo Jima Association of America. He died March 25, 2010 in New York City at the age of 89.
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lt. colonel chandler johnsonChandler W. Johnson was born in Ft. Dodge, Iowa on October 8, 1905. Johnson was the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 28th Marines when they landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. On D+1, in a cold rain, 2/28 prepared to assault Mt. Suribachi. Johnson set the tone for the morning as he deployed his tired troops forward saying, "It's going to be a hell of a day in a hell of a place to fight the damned war!" On February 23, Capt. Dave Severance was ordered by Lt. Col. Johnson to send a platoon to take the mountain. Severance ordered 1st Lt. Harold G. Schrier to lead the patrol. Just before Schrier was to head up the mountain, Johnson handed him a flag saying, "If you get to the top put it up." The flag was a 54x28 inch American flag from the transport ship the USS Missoula. The patrol reached the top without incident and the flag was raised. The Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, had decided the previous night that he wanted to go ashore and witness the final stage of the fight for the mountain. His boat touched the beach just after the flag went up, and the mood among the high command turned jubilant. Gazing upward at the flag, Forrestal remarked to General Holland Smith, "Holland, the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years." Forrestal decided he wanted the Suribachi flag as a souvenir. The news of this wish did not sit well with Chandler Johnson. "To hell with that!" Johnson spat when the message reached him. The flag belonged to the battalion, as far as Johnson was concerned. He decided to secure it as soon as possible, and dispatched his assistant operations officer, Lt. Ted Tuttle, to the beach to obtain a replacement flag. As an afterthought, Johnson called after Tuttle, "And make it a bigger one." Johnson was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his leadership on Iwo Jima as his men secured Mt. Suribachi and then drove on northward toward the sea. Johnson was instantly killed by a bursting mortar shell as he was moving between companies on March 2, 1945. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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platoon sergeant joseph julianJoseph Rudolph Julian was born in Sturbridge, Massachusetts on April 3, 1918. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in January 1942. Following basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he became a Drill Instructor, and later was assigned to the 5th Marine Division. On March 9, 1945 while a member of the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, Julian was determined to force a breakthrough when Japanese troops halted his company's advance. Advancing alone, he hurled grenades killing two of the enemy and driving five more out of a trench. Seizing a discarded rifle, he jumped into the trench and dispatched all five before they could make an escape. He obtained more explosives and, accompanied by another Marine, again charged the enemy fortifications and knocked out two more cave positions. He then launched a bazooka attack firing four rounds into an enemy pillbox and completely destroyed it before he fell, mortally wounded by enemy fire. The Medal of Honor was presented to his parents by the Secretary of the Navy on November 15, 1945. Following the war, Platoon Sergeant Julian's remains were reinterred at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York at the request of his parents.
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private first class james la belleJames Dennis La Belle was born in Columbia Heights, Minnesota on November 22, 1925. At age 17, with his mother's permission, La Belle enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in Minneapolis. Recruit training at the MCRD San Diego, California, followed. After completing boot camp, he went to Camp Pendleton, California, where he qualified in the intensive combat training course before embarking for overseas. On June 30, 1944, he joined the regimental Weapons Company, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. The following August he sailed on board the USS George F. Elliott, bound for Hilo, Hawaii. La Belle landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 and fought continuously from the initial landing until March 8, 1945. La Belle had dug into a foxhole with two other Marines and maintained a vigilant watch during the night hours. Suddenly an enemy grenade landed beyond reach in his foxhole. Determined to save the other Marines if possible, he dove on the grenade, absorbing the exploding charge and protected his comrades from serious injury. His mother was presented the Medal of Honor on July 21, 1946 in Minneapolis. Private First Class La Belle's remains were returned to the United States in late 1948, and were reinterred at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
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corporal charles lindbergCharles W. Lindberg was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on June 26, 1920. Lindberg enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He volunteered for the Marine Raiders and saw combat on Guadalcanal and Bougainville. After Bougainville, Lindberg returned to the States and was assigned to the new 5th Marine Division. Lindberg was a flamethrower operator with the 28th Marines and landed with the fifth wave on February 19, 1945. He earned the Silver Star two days later when he participated in a major assault against enemy fortifications and blockhouses at the base of Mount Suribachi. Around 10:20 a.m. on February 23, Lindberg was part of a group that raised a 54x28 inch flag atop Suribachi soon after it was captured following a fire-fight. However, this flag was too small to be seen easily from the nearby landing beaches, and a second, larger flag was raised four hours later simultaneous with the lowering of the first flag. After being shot in the arm by a Japanese sniper on March 1, Corporal Lindberg was evacuated from Iwo Jima. After his discharged in 1946, Lindberg returned home to Grand Forks, North Dakota where he worked as an electrician for 39 years. Later in life, he often spoke at schools, sharing his memories of his wartime service. He returned to Iwo Jima in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the battle. Lindberg died on June 24, 2007 and is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. He was the last undisputed surviving member of the two flag raisings.
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COLONEL harry liversedgeHarry Bluett Liversedge was born on September 21, 1894 in Volcano, California. He began his career in May 1917, when he enlisted as a private, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in September 1918. He was promoted to first lieutenant in July 1919 while serving with the Fifth Brigade in France. Following his return to the United States in August 1919, he was ordered to the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia, but shortly thereafter was assigned to the Second Provisional Marine Brigade at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, arriving in October of that year. The name of Liversedge was familiar in sports page headlines, when as a member of the Naval Academy track squads, he participated in the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games. He also figured prominently in football as a member of the championship Marine football teams of the early 1920s. In January 1942, Lt. Col. Liversedge departed from the United States for American Samoa, in command of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. He was promoted to colonel in May of that same year and in August he assumed command of the Third Marine Raider Battalion. He led this unit ashore at Pavuvu in the unopposed occupation of the Russell Island. He commanded the battalion until March 1943 when he was given command of the newly organized First Marine Raider Regiment. In January 1944, he was transferred to the 5th Marine Division and assumed command of the 28th Marines. He gallantly led the 28th ashore on Iwo Jima for which he was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of his second Navy Cross. Following a brief tour of duty with the occupation forces in Japan, he was ordered to the Marine Corps Base in San Diego in March 1946. He was named assistant commander of the 1st Marine Division in February 1948. In May of that year, he was promoted to brigadier general, and the following May, he took command of Fleet Marine Force, Guam, where he remained until April 1950. He then served briefly as Deputy Commander, Marine Barracks, Camp Pendleton, before becoming Director of the Marine Corps Reserve in June 1950. Liversedge died at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, on November 25, 1951. He is buried in Pine Grove, California.
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private first class jack lucasJacklyn Harold Lucas was born in Plymouth, North Carolina on February 14, 1928. Although only 14 years of age, Lucas enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve without his mother's consent on August 6, 1942. He gave his age as 17, and went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina for recruit training. He left the continental United States in November 1943 shipping off to Pearl Harbor. With statements to his buddies that he was going to join a combat unit, PFC Lucas walked out of camp on January 10, 1945. He was declared UA (Unauthorized Absence) when he failed to return that night and a month later he was declared a "deserter", and a reward was offered for his apprehension. He stowed away on board USS Deuel which was transporting units of the 5th Marine Division into combat. He surrendered to the senior troop officer and was allowed to remain with the 5th Marine Division and to enter combat with them on Iwo Jima. Lucas earned the Medal of Honor on February 20, 1945 for his heroic actions during the battle when he unhesitatingly hurled himself over his comrades upon one grenade and for pulling another one under himself. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body. He was evacuated to the hospital ship Samaritan, and then treated at various field hospitals prior to his arrival in San Francisco. He eventually underwent 21 surgeries. For the rest of his life, there remained about 200 pieces of metal in Lucas' body. Lucas is the youngest Marine ever to receive the Medal of Honor. Lucas died of leukemia on June 5, 2008 at a hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with family and friends by his side.
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1st lieutenant jack lummusAndrew Jackson Lummus, Jr. was born in Ennis, Texas on October 22, 1915. He attended Ennis High School where he was a star in football and track. He received a scholarship offer from Baylor University where he played baseball and football. In May 1941, he enlisted in the Air Corps and dropped out of Baylor. He later washed out of flight school, but made the New York Giants' football roster. Lummus enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on January 30, 1942. On October 18, he enrolled at the Officers Training School at Quantico, Virginia. He was assigned to the elite Marine Raiders until they were dissolved, and then assigned to the 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. Lummus was in the first wave of troops to land at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. He and his platoon spent the next two weeks incessantly fighting the dug-in Japanese. On March 8, his platoon was spearheading a final assault on an objective east of Kitano Point, near the northern edge of the island. Despite minor wounds received from grenade shrapnel, Lummus knocked out three enemy strongholds. Following this action, he stepped on a land mine and was mortally wounded, losing his legs. While lying on the ground, he urged his platoon on, until he was carried off to an aid station. At the aid station, he famously told the doctor, "Well, doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today." Lummus was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was originally buried in the Fifth Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima. His body was later moved to Ennis, Texas.
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1st lieutenant harry martinHarry Linn Martin was born in Bucyrus, Ohio on January 4, 1911. He was a member of the Ohio National Guard and a graduat of Michigan State where he majored in Business Administration. On August 25, 1943, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. Following schooling at Quantico, Virginia, Martin completed the Engineers School at New River, North Carolina. Assigned to the 5th Marine Division, he joined Company C of the 5th Pioneer Battalion. On February 19, 1945, he landed on Iwo Jima and before the day ended he had already sustained a slight wound. He was promoted to first lieutenant on March 1, 1945. A few minutes before dawn on the morning of March 26, the day the Iwo campaign officially closed, the Japanese launched a concentrated attack and penetrated the Marine lines in the area where Martin's platoon was bivouacked. He immediately organized a firing line among the men in the foxholes closest to his own, and temporarily stopped the headlong rush of the enemy. Several of his men were lying wounded in positions overrun by the enemy and Martin was determined to rescue them. In the action which followed, he was severely wounded twice but continued to resist the enemy until he fell mortally wounded by a grenade. The Medal of Honor was presented to his parents by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal at a ceremony in the Navy Department on May 6, 1946. First Lieutenant Martin was originally buried in the 5th Division Cemetery at Iwo Jima. At the request of his mother, his remains were returned to Ohio in 1948 for private burial in Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus, Ohio.
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private george phillipsGeorge Phillips was born in Bates County, Missouri on July 14, 1926. He worked on the railroad before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps on April 25, 1944. Phillips served with the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines on Iwo Jima. On the night of March 14, 1945, Phillips was on guard duty in his fox-hole while other members of his squad rested after a night of bitter hand grenade fighting against infiltrating Japanese troops. Pvt. Phillips was the only member of his unit alerted when an enemy hand grenade was tossed into their midst. Instantly shouting a warning, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the deadly missile, absorbing the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body and protecting his comrades from serious injury. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The decoration was received by his uncle, with whom Pvt. Phillips had formerly resided. Initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, Pvt. Phillips' remains were reinterred in Bethel Cemetery in Labadie, Missouri in 1948.
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private first class donald ruhlDonald Jack Ruhl was born in Columbus, Montana, on July 2, 1923. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on September 12, 1942 in Butte, Montana, and went on active duty the same day. Ruhl later qualified as a parachutist and joined Company C, 3rd Parachute Battalion of the 3rd Marine Division at Camp Elliott, San Diego. After six months of overseas training at New Caledonia, his unit sailed for Guadalcanal in September 1943. In October his unit which was now Company L, 3rd Parachute Battalion, 1st Marine Parachute Regiment boarded ship and moved on to the newly-won Vella Lavella island in the Southern Solomons. The 3rd Parachute Battalion saw its first combat at Bougainville and then in January returned to Guadalcanal and then to the U.S. Ruhl was transferred to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines when the Parachute units were disbanded. On D-Day plus two on Iwo Jima, Ruhl's company was pushing forward to assault a vast network of fortifications surrounding the base of Mt. Suribachi. During the advance, Ruhl accompanied by Sgt. Henry "Hank" Hanson, ran up to a trench line, not knowing that there were Japanese in the trench. An explosive charge was tossed out of the trench and landed at Hanson's feet. Calling a warning to Hanson, Ruhl instantly dove on the explosive and absorbed the full charge of the explosion with his body. His action saved Hanson and prevented explosive fragments from wounding other nearby Marines. Two days later, Company E raised the first American flag on the top of Mount Surbachi. The Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to Ruhl and presented to his parents on January 12, 1947, at Greybull, Wyoming. Ruhl was initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, but was later reinterred in Donald J. Ruhl Memorial Cemetery in Greybull, Wyoming.
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1st lieutenant harold schrierHarold George Schrier was born in Corder, Missouri on October 17, 1916. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on November 12, 1936. After training in San Diego, California, he was sent to China to guard the US embassy in Beijing. He became a Drill Instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in August 1940. Schrier served on Midway Island and saw action with the 5th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the field on February 28, 1943. He joined a Marine Raider unit and later saw action on Bougainville. Schrier returned to the U.S. to become an infantry instructor at Camp Pendleton but returned to the Pacific as Executive Officer of Easy Company, 28th Marines. On February 23, Lt. Schrier volunteered to lead a 40-man patrol to climb up Mount Suribachi to secure the 556-foot mountain top and to raise a U.S. flag at the summit to signal that it was captured. Schrier earned the Navy Cross for his leadership on Mt. Suribachi. Schrier took command of Company D, 28th Marines and was awarded the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action on March 24, 1945 leading a counterattack against a fanatical Japanese attack upon his lightly manned command post. After the war, he served as a technical advisor (appearing as himself) in the 1949 motion picture, Sands of Iwo Jima, starring John Wayne. Schrier was sent to fight in the Korean War with the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in July 1950. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions in August and September 1950 during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. He was wounded on the night of December 1, 1950 during an all-night hill fight during the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir. Schrier retired from the Marine Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel. He is buried in Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, Florida.
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private first class harold schultzHarold Henry Schultz was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 28, 1926. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on December 23, 1943 in Detroit. Schultz was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines. On February 19, 1945, Schultz landed on the shores of Iwo Jima. Four days later, Schultz was part of the 40 man patrol that climbed to the top of Mt. Suribachi. Schultz provided cover for the group of Marines and Navy Corpsmen who raised the first flag over Iwo Jima. Several hours later, Schultz then actually participated in the second flag raising which was photographed by Joe Rosenthal. Schultz hopped in to help raise the pole standing briefly between Franklin Sousley and Ira Hayes as the flag went up. In addition, Schultz is one of the Marines seen in Rosenthal's famous "Gung Ho" photograph after the second flag was raised. Schultz was wounded in action on March 13, 1945. He was discharged from the Marine Corps with the rank of Corporal on October 17, 1945. After the war Schultz moved to sunny southern California. He worked for the United States Postal Service in Los Angeles for 35 years. He got married for the first time while in his late sixties to Rita Reyes Schultz. Harold Henry Schultz passed away in 1995 and has a memorial marker in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
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captain dave severanceDave E. Severance was born on February 4, 1919. He served in the Colorado National Guard from 1934-1937 and then enlisted in the Marine Corps out of the University of Washington in 1938. He did sea duty aboard the USS Lexington, went through parachute school in 1941 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1942. Severance was a platoon leader with the 3rd Marine Parachute Battalion during combat on Vella Lavella and Bougainville. He later joined the 5th Marine Division where we was the commanding officer of Company E, 28th Marines from April 1944 to September 1945. Captain Severance earned a Silver Star for his actions on Iwo Jima. On February 23, Severance was given the order to send a patrol of Company E to capture the summit of Mt. Suribachi and put up a flag if possible. It was his men of Company E who raised the first, and later the second flag on Mt. Suribachi which went on to become the most iconic American image of World War II. Severance went on to serve as a combat pilot in the Korean War where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals. He was promoted to Colonel in 1962 while with the 1st Marine Air Wing in Japan and retired with 34 years of military service in 1968. Since his retirement he has worked as a volunteer for the VA Hospital, Aerospace Museum and political campaigns.
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private first class franklin siglerFranklin Earl Sigler was born in Montclair, New Jersey on November 6, 1924. On March 23, 1943, he joined the Marines and was sent to recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina. In April 1944, he joined Company F, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division, and in July, embarked aboard the USS Clay for Hilo, Hawaii. Sigler and his unit were only in Hawaii for a short time before they were sent to participate in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Sigler's squad leaders were injured in the fighting on Iwo. He took command of his squad and lead them against a Japanese gun position that had been holding up the advance of his company for several days. On March 14, 1945 he was the first to reach the gun position and personally annihilated the gun crew with hand grenades. When the Japanese began firing from tunnels and caves leading to the gun position, he scaled the rocks leading up to the position and single-handedly assaulted them, completely surprising them. Although wounded, he refused to be evacuated and, crawling back to his squad, directed machine-gun and rocket fire on the cave entrances. In the ensuing fight three of his men were wounded and Sigler, disregarding the pain from his wound and the heavy enemy fire, carried them to safety behind the lines. Returning to his squad he remained with his men directing their fire until ordered to retire and seek medical aid. For his actions during this battle he received the Medal of Honor, presented to him by President Truman at a White House ceremony October 5, 1945. After his return to the U.S., he was hospitalized at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Because of disabilities from the wounds he received in the battle he was discharged from the Marine Corps at the rank of Private First Class in June 1946. He died January 20, 1995, at age 70, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
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private first class franklin sousleyFranklin Runyon Sousley was born in Hill Top, Kentucky on September 19, 1925. Sousley received his draft notice, and chose to join the United States Marine Corps in early 1944, and underwent extensive combat training as a member of the 5th Marine Division. Sousley landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 and later assisted in raising the second flag on Mount Suribachi. Sousley was to be returned to Washington, D.C. for a war bond tour alongside Bradley and Gagnon, but Sousley was on a dangerous part of Iwo Jima, and his company commander, Captain Dave Severance, decided it was safer to leave him where he was than attempt an extrication under the conditions. On March 21, 1945, PFC Sousley was shot in the back by a Japanese sniper, as he was walking down an open road on the nearly-secured island. A fellow Marine witnessed Sousley lying on the ground and asked, "How bad are you hit?" Sousley's reply and last words were reportedly, "Not bad, I can't feel a thing." Originally buried on Iwo Jima, his remains were reinterred on May 8, 1947, at Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky.
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corporal tony steinTony Stein was born in Dayton, Ohio on September 30, 1921. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on September 22, 1942. and was a member of the elite Paramarines from the end of his recruit training until the Paramarines were disbanded in 1944. Assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Parachute Battalion, 1st Parachute Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Stein fought in the Vella Lavella and Bougainville Campaigns, shooting five snipers in a single day during the latter operation. A toolmaker prior to the war, Stein customized a .30 caliber M1919 Browning machine gun from a wrecked Navy fighter plane into a highly effective personal machine gun he nicknamed the "Stinger". After the Paramarines were disbanded, Stein returned to Camp Pendleton, California, where he was promoted to corporal and assigned as an assistant squad leader to Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines in the newly formed the 5th Marine Division. On February 19, 1945, he took part in the amphibious landings on Iwo Jima. As his unit moved inland, he stormed a series of hostile pillboxes using his ubiquitous "stinger" and made eight trips back to the beach to retrieve ammunition, each time taking a wounded Marine with him. It was for his actions on this day that he was later awarded the Medal of Honor. Stein was wounded during the fight for Mt. Suribachi and evacuated to a hospital ship. Meanwhile, his regiment advanced up the west side of the island until reaching the strongly defended Hill 362A, where they took heavy casualties. When Stein heard of this, he left the hospital ship and returned to his unit. On March 1, he was killed by a sniper while leading a 19-man patrol to reconnoiter a machine gun emplacement which had Company A pinned down. Stein's Medal of Honor was presented to his widow on February 19, 1946, during a ceremony in the office of Ohio Governor Frank Lausche. Stein was initially buried in the 5th Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima. Following the war, his remains were returned to the U.S. for reinterment in his native Dayton. Stein was buried with full military honors on December 17, 1948, in Calvary Cemetery. The USS Stein (FF-1065), a U.S. Navy Knox class frigate commissioned in 1972, was named in his honor.
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sergeant michael strankMichael Strank was born in Jarabina, a small village in Slovakia, on November 10, 1919. Strank's family moved to the United States near Johnstown, Pennsylvania where his father work in the coal mines for the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 6, 1939 and had assignments at Parris Island, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, New River, North Carolina, and San Diego, California. In September 1942, he was transferred to the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. With the Raiders, he participated in the landing operations and occupation of Pavuvu Island in the Russell Islands and took part in the Battle of Bougainville. Strank was later assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division and placed in command of a squad. Strank landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. He was given the order to climb Mount Suribachi to lay telephone wire. Accompanying him were Corporal Block, Pfc Hayes and Pfc Sousley. About halfway up the mountain, they were joined by Pfc Gagnon, who was carrying a larger flag to the summit to replace the smaller one which had been raised earlier in the day. Upon reaching the summit, Strank took the flag from Gagnon, and explained to Lieutenant Harold Schrier that "Colonel Johnson wants this big flag run up high so every son of a bitch on this whole cruddy island can see it." On March 1, Strank was killed by friendly artillery fire from an offshore American ship. He was buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, the first of the flag raisers to die. On January 13, 1949, his remains were reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery.
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private first class chuck tatumCharles William Tatum was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 23, 1926. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1943 and was assigned to the 5th Marine Division. He went through training at Camp Pendleton and Camp Tarawa and served as a machine gunner in B-1-27. He landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 at Red Beach 2 and fought on the island until March 5 when he was wounded in action. During the campaign he received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for saving a Marine buddy on Hill 362. Tatum was discharged in August 1945. His most memorable experience during the war was serving alongside Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone both during his training at Camp Pendleton and in combat on Iwo Jima. Tatum had a lot of jobs following the war including fireman, race car driver, stunt man, actor and inventor. Tatum is active in Marine affairs and was twice the president of the Stockton Marine Corps Club in California. In 1995, he arranged a memorial service in Washington D.C. in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Tatum's book, Red Blood, Black Sand, first printed in 1995, is one of the five books used as a basis for the HBO television mini-series The Pacific.
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platoon sergeant "boots" thomasErnest Ivy Thomas, Jr. was born in Tampa, Florida on March 10, 1924. His family moved to Moticello, Florida when he was a child. He was attending Tri-State University, studying aeronautical engineering, when in early 1942 he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps. Being color blind, in order to pass the medical test allowing him to enlist, he memorized the patterns provided by a man sitting next to him in the testing station. On February 19, 1945, Thomas was a platoon sergeant with Company E, 28th Marines and was part of the first wave of Marines who landed on Iwo Jima. On February 21, when the 28th Marines were attacking the base of Mount Suribachi, Thomas called for fire support and exposed himself repeatedly to enemy fire, called for tank support to try to knock out a heavily fortified bunker at the base of Suribachi. He was awarded a Navy Cross for his "initiative and fearless leadership" in the attack. In the absence of his wounded platoon commander, Thomas led the combat patrol up the back side of Suribachi. When they got to the top, it was Thomas who managed to find a piece of Japanese water pipe that became the flag pole. He was killed in action eight days after the flag raising on March 3, 1945. He is buried at Roseland Cemetery in Jefferson County, Florida. A monument on U.S. Highway 90, Monticello, Florida honors Platoon Sergeant Thomas.
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pharmacist's mate second class
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gunnery sergeant william walshWilliam Gary Walsh was born on April 7, 1922 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He attended public schools in Boston before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in April 1942. He went to boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, and advanced training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From Camp Lejeune, he went to Samoa and was assigned to a unit of Marine scouts. His next assignment was with the 2nd Marine Raider battalion, the famed Carlson's Raiders. During the war, he saw action at Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, and in the Russell Islands. Following two years of service in the Pacific theatre, he returned to the United States. He later returned overseas with the 5th Marine Division in time for the Iwo Jima invasion. Walsh was leading an assault platoon of Company G, 27th Marines against the heavily fortified Hill 362 on February 27, 1945. When an enemy hand grenade fell into the trench he and his men were occupying, Walsh threw himself on the grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of fellow Marines. For this heroic act, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, Gunny Sergeant Walsh's remains were later reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery on April 20, 1948.
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1st LIEUTENANT JOHN KEITH WELLSJohn Keith Wells was born on February 5, 1922 in Lake View, Texas. He attended Texas A&M College from 1940 to 1942 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in March 1942. He was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS) shortly thereafter. Upon completion of OCS, Wells completed Marine Parachute Training School in August 1943. Lt. Wells was then deployed to Guadalcanal with the 1st Marine Regiment in December 1943. After his return from Guadalcanal, Wells was given command of 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division. He is quoted as saying, "Give me 50 Marines not afraid to die and I can take any position." He landed on the island of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 and was quickly given the task of leading an assault at the base of Mt. Suribachi. It was during this attack that Wells was awarded the Navy Cross. Part of his citation would read: "by his leadership and indomitable fighting spirit, 1st Lt Wells contributed materially to the destruction of at least twenty-five Japanese emplacements". During this attack Wells was wounded and evacuated to a hospital ship where he would later escape by convincing a corpsman to supply with him sulfa powder and morphine so he could join his platoon. Once Wells reached the base of Mt. Suribachi he was helped to the summit by one of the flag raisers, Charles Lindberg. When his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson, learned of this, he ordered Wells to relinquish command of the platoon and return to the aid station. Command was then passed to Sgt. Ernest "Boots" Thomas who would be KIA several days later. Wells remained on the island, although unable to lead his troops, until the island was declared secure. After World War II, Wells returned to Texas and enrolled at Texas Tech College and obtained a degree in Petroleum Geology. In 1959, 1st Lt. Wells was honorarily retired as a Major in the Marine Reserves.
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pharmacist's mate third class
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pharmacist's mate first class
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