World War II Honoree

Francis Monroe Ford

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Bristow, Oklahoma

Honored By

Coralyn Roush, Terry Ricken & Michael Ford

Relationship

Daughters & Son

HE WAS DRAFTED AND SERVED FROM FEBRUARY 6, 1943 TO MAY 16, 1946. WORKED AS ASSISTANT COOK AND TRAINED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AT CAMP PENDELTON, CALIFORNIA WHERE HE TRAINED FOR THE INVASION OF IWO JIMA. RENDEZVOUSED AT SAIPAN AND THEN SAILED TO INVADE IWO JIMA. SERVED IN F COMPANY, SECOND BATTALION, TWENTY-EIGHTH MARINES, FIFTH MARINE DIVISION, FLEET MARINE FORCE, PACIFIC. SAILED FROM HAWAII TO IWO JIMA ON THE USS MISSOULA (APA-211). HE WAS PART OF THE SECOND BATTALION ASSIGNED THE JOB OF TAKING MOUNT SURIBACHI. HE WAS WITH THE FIFTH MARINES WHEN THEY LANDED IN JAPAN AT SASEBO NAVAL BASE, AMONG THE FIRST OCCUPATION FORCES IN JAPAN. AT THE END OF HIS SERVICE HE WAS WITH THE THIRD PROVISIONAL MILITARY POLICE BATTALION, FLEET MARINE FORCE, PACIFIC, OCCUPATION FORCES IN JAPAN.