A plea to help me ill in my Grandfather's Story

[ChrisBCS]

Dear Sirs and Ma’ams,


I’m hoping for some help researching my grandfather (1924-2010).


He was the embodiment of the Greatest Generation, I loved the man to death. He essentially raised me: he taught me how to shoot a rifle, how to fish, and gave me my moral compass and innumerable life skills. I miss him every day.


Growing up, I of course knew he was a USMC veteran of WWII. I remember hearing stories of the Pacific, of the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, of shipboard goings-on, of a Japanese Grenade that took most of the sight from his right eye, and, his Purple Heart.


In my longing for him to still be with us, and seeing the current rate of loss of WWII veterans, I regret deeply not documenting his stories and anecdotes, and prodding for more details. So, I am doing my best to honor his memory with my own research. I have come here, as I’m guessing many folks do, to appeal to your collective knowledge.


I have a request in to the NPRC already, but in the meantime, I seek information and stories from folks like the community here. Please also correct me anywhere I am mistaken.


I have only one photo of him in dress, and it is from immediately before his release 7 months before V-J Day (see attached). All of my life I had thought (and been told) he was only Pfc, but his photo shows Corporal chevrons. All of the musters I can find list him as Pfc. In the two close ups, I see a Purple Heart ribbon, and a Asiatic Pacific Campaign ribbon with three Bronze Service Stars. It is those 3 Stars that really piqued my research and got the train moving...


He appears to have qualified Sharpshooter. The Marksmanship badges that I can make out on the ladder are Rifle (top) and Browning Automatic Rifle (bottom). If anyone can make out, or knows, what the middle one is, I’d be deeply grateful.


Enlistment date:
September 9, 1942.


Here is the first muster record I can find.


January, 1943
Company "D", First Battalion, Pioneers, Nineteenth Marines, Ninth Marines Reinforced, Third Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.


The next muster is actually in the field, April 1943.


In July of 1943, he was moved to Second Battalion. Pioneers, Nineteenth Marines, Ninth Marines Reinforced, Third Marine Division, again in field.


Another muster in Second Battalion in October, 1943, again in field.


My assumption is that in this time, he is participating in the North Solomon Islands Campaign. My research suggests that was the first campaign the 19th Marines participated in was the fighting in the Northern Solomons (Rennell, Vella Lavella, Kolombangara, etc). I’m also assuming, perhaps incorrectly, this is Bronze Star number 1.


My reading suggests that the 19th Marines participated in the landings on Cape Torokina on Bougainville. Since that began on November 1st of 1943, and my guess is the October muster was the last record of him there before the landings, if he was with the 19th Marines there. This would perhaps be the second Star?


The records I have indicate that he was also in the field, still as a part of the Second Battalion, Pioneers, Nineteenth Marines, Ninth Marines Reinforced, Third Marine Division, from at least January-April of 1944. I can’t find any information on where Second Battalion of the nineteenth Marines would have been at that time… Still fighting on Bougainville perhaps?


Following that, I have a record of him on board the USS Ornsby at the beginning of July, 1944, as a part of the newly reformed First Provisional Marine Brigade. They sailed from Eniwetok to Guam, where they disembarked on the 21st of July to participate in the initial landings at Agat for the Second Battle of Guam. He was evacuated to the USS Pinkney at some point between July 22-31, after having sustained an injury to his face and head from a Japanese hand grenade, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. I assume this Campaign accounts for his third Bronze Star. Records show him in the U.S. Naval Hospital in October of 1944, and as a member of First Casual Company in San Diego in January of 1945, then Separation Company in 1945.


Thank you for your Service, and for any help and thoughts you might offer.
Be well,
Chris





Similar Threads:

• Grandfather's Dog Tags (WWII)
• My Grandfather's Platoon Roster
• Brooklyn native became Marine because of grandfather's influence
• My Grandfather's Bringbacks Form WWII

[ChrisBCS]

I'm incredibly sorry if I posted this in the wrong sub-forum...

[Mongoose]

Great story of a great Marine. Your grandfather paved the way for most of us. Thanks for sharing his story.

[irpat54]

not sure if this will help.. click on the image and it will be clear and enlarged..

Attachment 27611

[Phantom Blooper]

http://ww2db.com/index.php This site if doesn't help you may have some contacts...

[ChrisBCS]

Thank you!!

[irpat54]

hmm wonder what happened to my pic.. I'll try it again, it was there earlier.. if you click on the image you will see it very clearly, this one has rifle, machine gun, and ex. bayonet..

[Rocky C]

Great post. Thank you.