Appendix VII

 

Appendix VII
Marine and Naval Corpsmen
Medal of Honor Winners

 

 

CORPORAL RICHARD E. BUSH, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. Severely wounded while leading the first squad to penetrate the Mt. Yae Take inner defenses, he was evacuated to a nearby aid station. When an enemy grenade landed in the midst of the wounded men, he unhesitatingly pulled it to his body to protect his comrades from serious injury or death. (16 April 1945)

 

HOSPITAL APPRENTICE FIRST CLASSROBERT E. BUSH, 2d Battalion, 5th Marines. He was administering plasma to a wounded officer on an exposed ridgeline when the enemy attacked. He fought off the charging enemy with his pistol and a carbine, killing six despite his own serious wounds. He calmly ignored his critical condition until his patient was evacuated. (2 May 1945)

*Indicates posthumous award.

 

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MAJOR HENRY A. COURTNEY, JR., 2d Battalion, 22d Marines. Gallantly leading by personal example, he inspired a small group of men from his unit to assault and capture the crest of Sugar Loaf Hill. He continued to lead attacks against the superior enemy defending forces until killed by a hostile mortar burst. (14-15 May 1945)*

 

CORPORAL JOHN P. FARDY, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. When heavy enemy small-arms fire drove his squad to cover in a narrow drainage ditch and an enemy grenade fell among the men, he smothered the lethal explosion with his own body to protect his comrades’ lives. (6 May 1945)*

 

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM A. FOSTER, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines. Dug in with another Marine on the point of a perimeter defense during a fierce close-in battle with the enemy, he threw himself on a grenade that landed out of reach in his foxhole to protect the life of his comrade with his own. (2 May 1945)*

 

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HAROLD GONSALVES, 4th Battalion, 15th Marines. After repeatedly braving terrific enemy bombardment to aid his forward observation team, he dived on an enemy grenade which landed in its midst, sacrificing his own chances of survival to protect his fellow Marines. (15 April 1945)*

 

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PHARMACIST MATE SECOND CLASSWILLIAM D. HALYBURTON, JR., 2d Battalion, 5th Marines. When his assault unit suffered severe casualties he unhesitatingly went to the aid of the wounded man closest to the enemy positions. He interposed his own body as a shield in the line of fire and continued his ministrations until he was killed. (19 May 1945)*

 

PRIVATE DALE M. HANSEN, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines. Using a rocket launcher, a rifle, and grenades, he seized the initiative at a critical point in the battle action and in a one-man assault destroyed a pillbox, a mortar, and twelve of the enemy, materially aiding the accomplishment of his company’s mission. (7 May 1945)*

 

CORPORAL LOUIS J. HAUGE, JR., 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. Making a determined one-man assault on a pair of enemy machine-gun positions holding up his company’s advance, he wiped out one with grenades and, although painfully wounded, continued his attack and succeeded in destroying the second. (14 May 1945)*

 

SERGEANT ELBERT L. KINSER, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines. During an enemy counterattack when a grenade fell in the midst of his men, he threw himself on the deadly missile and absorbed the full force of the shattering explosion with his own body. (4 May 1945)*

 

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HOSPITAL APPRENTICE FIRST CLASS FRED F. LESTER, 1st Battalion, 22d Marines. He was hit while going to the aid of a wounded man. Although he was again wounded dragging his patient to safety, he directed the administration of proper medical treatment to several men, steadfastly refusing aid for his own wounds which he realized were fatal. (8 June 1945)*

 

PRIVATE ROBERT M. McTUREOUS, JR., 3d Battalion, 29th Marines. When machine-gun fire suddenly assailed stretcher bearers evacuating his unit’s wounded, he made two one-man grenade assaults on the enemy gun positions. Although seriously wounded, he stoically crawled 200 yards to shelter before calling for aid. (7 June 1945)*

 

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ALBERT E. SCHWAB, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. Attacking alone up a high ridge, he used his flame thrower to burn out an enemy machine gun that had pinned down his unit. When a second machine gun opened up, he attacked directly into its fire, silencing it as he fell fatally wounded. (7 May 1945)*

Current Bases that were dedicated to our Medal of Honor winners!

 

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