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Contact Info
Home Town Colleyville Texas
Last Address Colleyville, Texas, He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Texas and other spots around the world as family members made their way to them.
Date of Passing May 10, 1996
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
My Dad focused on his family. He had 5 children, 7 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He was active in his church and strong in his faith. He was an avid woodworker and a true artist with it. He grew a garden every year and raised his chickens. He worked E-System (A CIA toy shop ran by LTV in Garland Texas) Prior to moving over to E-System he was a design engineer for LTV. There were a number of avionics systems on the A7 that he designed. He knew many a great person and I benefited from that by getting to met a couple of them. Greg "Pappy" Boyington and Bob Galer both Medal of Honor holders. General Galer told me that he found it comical that here he was a retired Marine Corps General and he was working for a former USMC Corporal, which was proof that the Marines only take the best.
Other Comments:
Dad was the number one Marine Recruiter. At his Memorial there were over 20 sets of Marine dress blues there and a at least that number of those that had put their blues away. I guess I was his only real failure in that department. I was career Navy and my visits at home were always fun. He would relate some funny incidents about his time in the Marines but he never really spoke about the hard part and he really never got over what he had seen and lived through. I would hear him at night yelling and during waking hours he was ever alert. There was no walking up on him. He was always aware of his surroundings. He is missed by many. It has been 20 years since is passing and I still find myself missing him. He and I used to call each other anytime we heard a stupid joke so we could repeat it to each other. In another way however I am glad that he is not here to see what this country has become. It would have broke his heart. He was a true patriot and had no use for those who did not love this country and put it first.
Central Pacific Campaign (1941-43)/Battle of Tarawa
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1943
Description The Battle of Tarawa (US code name Operation Galvanic) was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It took place at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, located in what is now the nation of Kiribati. Nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans died in the fighting, mostly on and around the small island of Betio.
The Battle of Tarawa was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region. It was also the first time in the war that the United States faced serious Japanese opposition to an amphibious landing. Previous landings met little or no initial resistance, but this time the 4,500 Japanese defenders were well-supplied and well-prepared, and they fought almost to the last man, exacting a heavy toll on the United States Marine Corps. The US had suffered similar casualties in other campaigns, for example over the six months of the Guadalcanal Campaign, but in this case the losses were incurred within the space of 76 hours.