World War II Honoree

Alvin Leon Daily

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Milburn, Nebraska

Honored By

Naomi Hopperstad

ENLISTED, FIRST TIME, DES MOINES, IOWA JULY 17, 1940. QUALIFIED AS PARACHUTIST AND RADIO OPERATOR, ALSO AS RIFLE SHARPSHOOTER, PISTOL MARKSMAN AND THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN MARKSMAN. AS SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER, BECAME SUPERVISOR OF ALL COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL, RADIO, TELEPHONE AND MESSAGE CENTER. ATTAINED RANK OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT. SERVED IN WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND; NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA; GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS AND VELLA LAVELLA, SOLOMON ISLANDS. WITH THE 2ND MARINE PARACHUTE BATTALION, RECEIVED COMMENDATION FOR CONDUCTING VIGOROUS ATTACKS AGAINST THE JAPANESE FORCES AT VOZA ON CHOISEUL ISLAND FOR 7 DAY PERIOD. BATTALION DESTROYED SEVERAL HUNDRED TONS OF JAPANESE SUPPLIES, CAPTURED VALUABLE JAPANESE DOCUMENTS, DEVASTATED AN ENEMY BARGE AND STAGING AREA AT SANGIGAI. 143 JAPANESE KILLED; MANY MORE WOUNDED. ONLY 8 MEN KILLED, 13 WOUNDED IN THE BATTALION. RE-ENLISTED AT CAMP PENDLETON, OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA JULY 17, 1944. SERVED AS COMMUNICATION CHIEF WITH THE 5TH MARINE DIVISION DURING LANDING ON IWO JIMA, VIRGIN ISLANDS, FEBRUARY 19, 1945. WOUNDED IN ACTION ON IWO JIMA FEBRUARY 20, 1945 WHEN AN INCHES-LONG PIECE OF SHRAPNEL STRUCK HIS LEFT SHOULDER, BREAKING HIS COLLARBONE. PARTICIPATED IN THE OCCUPATION OF JAPAN. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER RIBBON AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.