PERSONAL AWARDS, DECORATIONS , AND DIVISIONAL CASUALTIES

THE MEDAL OF HONOR

During World War II, 22 members of the First Marine Division earned the Medal of Honor, America's highest award for heroism in combat. Twelve of the medals were awarded posthumously and another recipient, John Basilone, later died in combat on Iwo Jima with the Fifth Marine Division. As of November, 2007, Arthur J. Jackson and Everett P. Pope were the only two surviving Medal of Honor recipients from the World War II era First Marine Division.

The roster below lists the Division's World War II Medal of Honor recipients alphabetically. Ranks shown are those held at the time of the cited actions and an asterisk denotes a posthumous award. The individual names are hyperlinked to external sites with more information. For Marines, this will take the visitor away from WW2 Gyrene to the USMC History Division. For attached Navy personnel, this will take the visitor to the Home of Heroes web site.

*Maj Kenneth D. Bailey (1st Raider Bn, Guadalcanal) Pawnee, OK
Sgt John Basilone (1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Guadalcanal) Buffalo, NY
HA1/C Robert E. Bush, USN (2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Okinawa) Tacoma, WA
Cpl Lewis K. Bausell (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Peleliu) Pulaski, VA
Cpl Anthony Casamento (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Guada1canal) Brooklyn, NY
Col Merritt A. Edson (1st Raider Bn, Guadalcanal) Rutland, VT
*Cpl John P. Fardy (1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Okinawa) Chicago, IL
*PFC William A. Foster (3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Okinawa) Cleveland, OH
*PhM2 William D. Halyburton, Jr. USN (2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Okinawa) Canton, NC
*Pvt Dale M. Hanson (2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, Okinawa) Wisner, NE
*Cpl Louis J. Hauge, Jr. (1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Okinawa) Ada, MN
PFC Arthur J. Jackson (3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, Peleliu) Cleveland, OH
*Sgt Elbert L. Kinser (3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Okinawa) Greeneville, TN
*PFC Richard E. Kraus (8th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Peleliu) Chicago, IL
*PFC John D. New (2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, Peleliu) Mobile, AL
PltSgt Mitchell Paige (2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, Guadalcanal) Charleroi, PA
*Pvt Wesley Phelps (3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, Peleliu) Neafus, KY
Capt Everett P. Pope (1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Peleliu) Milton, MA
*PFC Charles H. Roan (2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, Peleliu) Claude, TX
2dLt Carlton R. Rouh (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Peleliu) Lindenwold, NJ
*PFC Albert E. Schwab (1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Okinawa) Washington, DC
MajGen Alexander A. Vandegrift (1st Marine Division, Guadalcanal) Charlottesville, VA

First Marine Division Medal of Honor ceremony at Balcombe, Australia, 21 May 1943. In this photo are the first Marines of the Division to receive America's highest honor in World War II. L-R: MajGen A. A. Vandegrift, Col Merritt Edson, 2ndLt Mitchell Paige, PltSgt John Basilone USMC Photo

OTHER PERSONAL AWARDS TO MEMBERS OF THE FIRST MARINE DIVISION

The Navy Cross 71 awards	The Silver Star 395 awards	The Bronze Star 719 awards	The Purple Heart 18,430 awards

Australia 1943. Marines take a break from cleaning their weapons after the First Marine Division rotated out of Guadalcanal. Victoria State Library

FIRST MARINE DIVISION CASUALTIES IN WORLD WAR II

Below is a table listing casualties for the First Marine Division extracted from the official Marine Corps history of its operations in World War II. Casualty records for some campaigns are incomplete and not all list attached Naval personnel for the division. The table does not list Marines who were incapacitated by sickness, combat fatigue or disease. Also, the table does not include Marines killed or incapacitated during non-combat (i. e. training) operations.

Notes regarding the above table:
KIA = Killed in Action
DOW = Died of Wounds
WIA = Wounded in Action
MIAPD = Missing in Action, Presumed Dead

Headquarters, Marine Corps, tracked and tabulated World War II casualties through the early 1950's and made the final accounting on 26 August 1952. Due to the way Headquarters, Marine Corps, accounted for wounded Marines, substantial numbers of DOW are included in the WIA columns. Also, the casualty statistics for Okinawa are slightly below the actual number by approximately 500 Marines. This is because some replacements were sent into combat units and became casualties before they were officially processed into the Division. These Marines were counted as casualties by their replacement drafts.

There is no centralized source for tracking awards and casualties of attached Navy medical personnel during World War II. These brave men performed heroic and sacrificial service to their Marines under the most challeging conditions. To a man, Marines of that era have the highest respect for their "docs." The bond between Marines and their Corpsmen was strong during the war, and has remained so to this day.

A reconniassance patrol from Able 1/7 poses on Target Hill, Cape Gloucester, with captured Japanese equipment, 4 January 1943. L–R: Pfc Dick Saylor, GySgt Theo Dexkrow, Pfc Ike Smith, Pfc Tom Shanahan, Pfc Earl Quinn, Pfc DD Barrett. Photo courtesy MSgt Charles Owens

Marines of HQ 1/5 receive awards for Peleliu after the First Marine Division returned to Pavuvu, late 1944. Sgt Robert Montgomery is at left. He earned the Bronze Star for gallantry in action on Peleliu and was later killed in action on Okinawa, earning a posthumous Silver Star there. Photo courtesy Robert Montgomery Thomas.

In this still image from combat camera film, men of the 1st Marines are moving onto the beach at Peleliu after being pulled off the line late in September 1944. Probably taken on the Regiment's last day on the island (30 September 1944), the picture shows weary Marines. The First Marines endured 1,672 casualties during the campaign. 1/1's casualty rate was 71 percent. 2/1 and 3/1 each suffered 56 percent casualties. These numbers did not include Marine evacuated for combat fatigue, heat stroke and other types of incapacitating injuries. As recorded in the Divisional history, a sergeant of the First Marines remarked upon relief, "This ain't a regiment. We're just survivors." USMC Image

FIRST MARINE DIVISION INDEX

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