This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Cpl Robert Rohrer (Bob)
to remember
Marine MGySgt John Boitnott.
If you knew or served with this Marine and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Last Address Dawson Springs, Kentucky
Date of Passing Oct 13, 2008
Location of Interment Jacksonville Memory Gardens - Orange Park, Florida
Wall/Plot Coordinates Garden of the Masonic
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Svc# 313233
12 Jul 1941 - Sep 1941
Enlisted - MCRD Sn Diego, CA Oct 1941
(Pvt) Sea School, MCRD San Diego, CA Oct 1941 - Jan 1942
(Pvt)Â Marine Detachment, U S S Chicago, Pearl Harbor (WIA) Jan 1942 - Feb 1942
(Pvt)Â Marine Detachment, U S S Chicago, Pearl Harbor Feb 1942 - Apr 1942
(Pvt) Marine Detachment, USS Astoria Apr 1942 - Jul 1942
(Pvt)Â Marine Detachment, U.S.S. Yorktown, Operating Pacific Area Jul 1942 - Oct 1942
(Pvt)Â Marine Detachment, U.S.S. Saratoga. Oct 1942 - Jul 1943
(PFC)Â Company B, Marine Barracks, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor Jul 1943 - Jan 1944
(PFC) Sea School Detachment, Marine Barracks, Nnyd, Portsmouth, Virginia (Instructor) Jan 1944 - Dec 1945
(PFC - Cpl) MarDet, USS Hornet CV-12 (WIA) Dec - Jan 1946
(Cpl)(606) Rifle Range Detachment, Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia (Instructor) Jan 1946 - Jul 1948
(Sgt)Â Headquarters, Northeastern Recruiting Division, Buffalo, NY. (Recruiter) Jul 1948 - Jul 1949
(Sgt) Weapons Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina Jul 1949 - Apr 1950
(Sgt-SSgt)Â Guard Co, Headquarters & Service Battalion, Marine Barracks, Camp Lejeune, NC Apr 1950 - Apr 1952
(SSgt)Â Wpns Trng Bn Mcrdep, Parris Island Sc (PMI) Apr 1952 - Oct 1952
(SSgt)(5849) Co I, 3Rd Battalion 5Th Marines, 1St Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force
(Apr 1952 -WIA - Jul 1952 WIA -Â 9 Kills)Â Korea 10 Aug 1952
Meritorious Promotion to Tech Sergeant Oct 1952 - Oct 1953
(TSgt)Â Mb Nas Mps Tenn, Memphis Tenn Oct 1953 - Jul 1956
(TSgt)Â Mp Co Hqbn 2Ndmardiv Fmf, Mri 2 Camp Lejeune N C Jul 1956 - Jan 1958
(TSgt-MSgt)Â Mar Air Base Sq 31 Mag 31 Reinf Afmfl,Mri Cherry Point Jan 1958 - Mar 1958
(MSgt)Â I-I Staff 2D Truck Co Mcr, N and Mcrtc Po Box 298 Augusta Ga (Criminal Investigator School) Apr 1958 - Jul 1959
(MSgt) Mabs 31 Mag 31 Reinf Afafl, Cherry Point, NC Jul 1959 - Jul 1963
(MSgt) Joint Chiefs, Pentagaon Secruity Detail Jul 1963 - Jul 1966
(MGySgt) Criminal Investigation Division Jul 1966 - Jul 1971
(MGySgt) Law Enforcement Bn, Marine Forces Reserve Jul 1971
Retired - MGySgt
Other Comments:
He was wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, fought at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and became the most famous Marine sniper of the Korean War . . .
By the time John E. Boitnott, a 30-year-old SSgt from Dawson Creek, Kentucky, left Korea for the United States in late July 1952, he had become a legend.
The Marine Corps sniper, who had earned a Bronze Star with Combat V, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, and six purple hearts, two combat action ribbons and numerous campaign medals for his service in WWII and Korea had also gained national attention for his unorthodox - but highly effective - method of taking out communist soldiers.
During a two-day period in 1952, Boitnott, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, used his M1C Garand sniper rifle to make nine confirmed kills with nine shots, an extraordinary feat of marksmanship, considering the firing conditions, rifles, and scopes used at the time.
But it wasnâ??t just Boitnott's outstanding shooting that earned him so much notoriety. It was the way he acquired targets. And that's where his seemingly fearless assistant, PFC Henry Friday, came into play.
The hard-charging PFC was not only an observer/spotter, but he frequently volunteered to do something most people would consider downright crazy.
Acting as a live decoy, he would calmly and courageously walk along his company's lines - fully exposing himself to enemy fire - while Boitnott zeroed in on the unsuspecting Chinese snipers trying pick off the young Marine.
The plan worked brilliantly . . . and Friday was never hit.
With war correspondents showing up to cover the extraordinary story, Boitnott and Friday appeared in newspapers across America. But top-ranking Marine officers, worried that Friday was taking unnecessary risks, also appeared on the scene and soon put an end to the two-man operation.
But Boitnott wasn't finished. According to records kept by 5th Marines, he continued his deadly streak, earning eight more confirmed kills before being severely being wounded by enemy rifle and mortar fire. He returned home, recovered from his wounds, and eventually married and had three children.
Postscript:
Boitnott, who had joined the Marines just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor and fought at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, told people that after a Chinese sniperâ??s bullet struck him in his helmet in Korea, he vowed to take out as many enemy soldiers as possible, knowing that for every Chinese sniper he killed, he would save at least one Marine's life.
Boitnott retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Gunnery Sergeant in 1971 after 30 years of service and passed away in his sleep on October 13, 2008 at the age of 86.
Today we pay tribute to John Boitnott, Henry Friday, their families, and all the American snipers who have served, sacrificed, and died during our country's wars. Their remarkable skills, bravery, and dedication undoubtedly saved hundreds of young Americans lives . . .
Lest we forget.
Â
Pacific Specified Raids Campaign (1942)/Makin Island Raid
From Month/Year
August / 1942
To Month/Year
August / 1942
Description The Makin Island Raid (occurred on 17–18 August 1942) was an attack by the United States Marine Corps Raiders on Japanese military forces on Makin Island (now known as Butaritari Island) in the Pacific Ocean. The aim was to destroy Japanese installations, take prisoners, gain intelligence on the Gilbert Islands area, and divert Japanese attention and reinforcements from the Allied landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
Execution of the raid
Makin as seen by USS Nautilus.
The Marine Raiders were launched in LCRL rubber boats powered by small, 6 hp (4.5 kW) outboard motors shortly after 00:00 (midnight) on 17 August. At 05:13, Companies A and B of the 2nd Raider Battalion—commanded by Lt. Col. Evans Carlson—successfully landed on Makin. The landing had been very difficult due to rough seas, high surf, and the failure of many of the outboard motors. Lt. Col. Carlson decided to land all his men on one beach, rather than two beaches as originally planned. At 05:15, Lt. Oscar Peatross and a 12-man squad landed on Makin. In the confusion of the landing, they did not get word of Carlson's decision to change plans and land all the Raiders on one beach. Thus, Peatross and his men landed where they originally planned. It turned out to be a fortunate error. Undaunted by the lack of support, Peatross led his men inland.
At 07:00, with Company A leading, the Raiders advanced from the beach across the island to its north shore before attacking southwestward. Strong resistance from Japanese snipers and machine guns stalled the advance and inflicted casualties. The Japanese then launched two banzai charges that were wiped out by the Raiders, thus killing most of the Japanese on the island. At 09:00, Lt. Peatross and his 12 men found themselves behind the Japanese who were fighting the rest of the Raiders to the east. Peatross's unit killed eight Japanese and the garrison commander Sgt. Major Kanemitsu, knocked out a machine gun and destroyed the enemy radios; but suffered three dead and two wounded. Failing to contact Carlson, they withdrew to the subs at dusk as planned.
At 13:30, 12 Japanese planes—including two flying boats—arrived over Makin. The flying boats—carrying reinforcements for the Japanese garrison—attempted to land in the lagoon, but were met with machine gun, rifle and Boys anti-tank rifle fire from the Raiders. One plane crashed; the other burst into flames. The remaining planes bombed and strafed but inflicted no U.S. casualties.
Evacuation of the Raiders
At 19:30, the Raiders began to withdraw from the island using 18 rubber boats, many of which no longer had working outboard motors. Despite heavy surf seven boats with 93 men made it to the subs. The next morning several boatloads of Raiders were able to fight the surf and reach the sub; but 72 men, along with just three rubber boats, were still on the island. At 23:30, the attempt by most of the Raiders to reach the submarines failed. Despite hours of heroic effort, 11 of 18 boats were unable to breach the unexpectedly strong surf. Having lost most of their weapons and equipment, the exhausted survivors struggled back to the beach to link up with 20 fully armed men who had been left on the island to cover their withdrawal. An exhausted and dispirited Carlson dispatched a note to the Japanese commander offering to surrender, but the Japanese messenger was killed by other Marines who were unaware of Carlson's plan.
At 09:00 on 18 August, the subs sent a rescue boat to stretch rope from the ships to the shore that would allow the remaining Raiders' boats to be pulled out to sea. But just as the operation began, Japanese planes arrived and attacked, sinking the rescue boat and attacking the subs, which were forced to crash dive and wait on the bottom the rest of the day. The subs were undamaged. At 23:08, having managed to signal the subs to meet his Raiders at the entrance to Makin Lagoon, Carlson had a team, led by Lt. Charlie Lamb, build a raft made up of three rubber boats and two native canoes, powered by the two remaining outboard motors. Using this raft, 72 exhausted Raiders sailed 4 miles from Makin to the mouth of the lagoon, where the subs picked them up.
Casualties
USMC casualties were given as 18 killed in action and 12 missing in action. Of the 12 Marines missing in action, one was later identified among the 18 Marine Corps graves found on Makin Island. Of the remaining eleven Marines missing in action, nine were inadvertently left behind or returned to the island during the night withdrawal. They were subsequently captured, moved to Kwajalein Atoll, and executed by Japanese forces. Koso Abe was subsequently tried and executed by the Allies for the murder of the nine Marines. The remaining two Marines missing in action have never been accounted for.
Conclusions
Carlson reported that he had personally counted 83 Japanese bodies and estimated that 160 Japanese were killed based on reports from the Makin Island natives with whom he spoke. Additional Japanese personnel may have been killed in the destruction of two boats and two aircraft. Morison states that 60 Japanese were killed in the sinking of one of the boats.
Although the Marine Raiders succeeded in annihilating the Japanese garrison on the island, the raid failed to meet its other material objectives. No Japanese prisoners were taken, and no meaningful intelligence was collected. Also, no significant Japanese forces were diverted from the Solomon Islands area. In fact, because the vulnerabilities to their garrisons in the Gilbert Islands were highlighted by the raid, the Japanese strengthened their fortifications and defensive preparations on the islands in the central Pacific — one of the objectives of the raid, insofar as it would dissipate Japanese material and manpower — which may have caused heavier losses for U.S. forces during the battles of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaigns. However, the raid did succeed in its objectives of boosting morale and testing Raider tactics.