This Military Service Page was created/owned by
HM2 Mark Flowers (Doc)
to remember
Marine 2ndLt Craig Billings Leman.
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Contact Info
Home Town Chicago
Last Address Corvallis, Oregon
Date of Passing Jul 13, 2014
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On 23 July 1942, Lt. Leman enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve while a student at the University of Chicago. He became part of the Marine Detachment V-12 program at Northeastern University in Evanston. He was assigned to the Platoon Leaders' Unit.
In January 1944, as a Marine private, he received notice to report to Parris Island for recruit training with the 12th Recruit Battalion.
Following Boot, as a PFC, he attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Camp Lejeune in May 1944 where he received his commission as a 2nd Lt.. He then received additional training at Camp Pendleton, and he was then assigned to the 5th Division on Hawaii.
In December 1944, assigned to 27th Replacement Draft, 5th Marine Division, FMF, In the Field, The 5th Marine Division joined a large convoy at Pearl Harbor for the 6 week voyage to Iwo Jima abaord the USS Hanford (APA-106). They landed on the beach on 19 February 1945 at H+2 on Red Beach as part of the shore party.
On 3 March, he fought as a rifle platoon leader during the Battle Iwo Jima with H Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. He received a serious head wound by rifle fire, but refused to be evacuated from the beach until he had been relieved by a new platoon commander. He had earlier rallied the remants of three platoons to advance under heavy fire. For these actions, he was awarded the Silver Star.
After he recovered from his wounds on Guam and then Hawaii, he rejoined his unit for the occupation of Japan, landing at Sasebo on 22 September 1945. Then to Palau where his unit supervised the repatriation of Japanese troops.
He left active duty in March 1946, and went on in-active reserve status. He became a physician.
Dr. Craig Leman practiced medicine at The Corvallis Clinic, Corvallis, Oregon from 1957 to 1999. He passed away of heart failure on 13 July 2014 in Corvallis, Oregon. He was 91.
Other Comments:
Sources:
"Early Clinic Surgeon Dr. Craig Leman Dies," Clinic Connection, The Corvallis Clinic, Corvallis, Oregon, Volume 12, page 10., Fall 2010. also at: https://www.corvallisclinic.com/news/leman-early-clinic-surgeon-dies-at-91
The 5th Marine Division was a United States Marine Corps infantry division which was activated on 11 November 1943 (officially activated on 21 January 1944) at Camp Pendleton, California during World War II. The 5th Division saw its first combat action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945 where it sustained the highest number of casualties of the three Marine divisions of the V Amphibious Corps (invasion force). The 5th Division was to be part of the planned invasion of the Japan homeland before Japan surrendered. Assault troops of the 5th Division were included in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the V Amphibious Corps for extraordinary heroism on Iwo Jima from 19 to 28 February 1945. The 5th Division was deactivated on 5 February 1946.
The 5th Division was ordered to be reactivated on 1 March 1966 at Camp Pendleton, California, during the Vietnam War. The division, beginning with the reactivation of Regimental Landing Team 26 (RLT 26), was expected to be fully manned within one year; the 5th Division was never in command of the 26th Marine Regiment (26th Marines) in the war. In December, all three infantry battalions of the 26th Marines were fighting in Vietnam attached to the 3rd Marine Division. By June 1967, the 5th Division was ready to deploy anywhere. It was never intended that the 5th Division would go overseas. It was a force in readiness. But in February 1968, General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, commander of U.S. forces in South Vietnam, asked for help because of the all-out Communist Tet Offensive. The 27th Marine Regiment (27th Marines), 5th Marine Division, was airlifted out on 48 hours notice, with 3,700 Marines. In September, it became the first major combat unit to come home from the Vietnam War. The 5th Marine Division formally deactivated on 26 November 1969.