World War II Honoree

Frank William Comstock

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Monroe, Michigan

Honored By

Frank William Comstock

Relationship

Self

ENLISTED IN MAY 1942, DETROIT, MICHIGAN. COMMISSIONED SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE MARINE CORPS AT QUANTICO, VIRGINIA DURING TRAINING IN A PLATOON LEADER'S CLASS ON OCTOBER 31, 1942. JOINED THE III MARINE AMPHIBIOUS CORPS SIGNAL BATTALION IN APRIL 1943, FRENCH ISLAND OF NEW CALEDONIA, AS A LINE OFFICER IN A COMMUNICATIONS BATTALION THAT SERVED ALL PHASES OF THE SIGNAL NEEDS OF THE III CORPS. BASE CAMP FOR 18 MONTHS WAS THE ISLAND OF GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLAND CHAIN. PARTICIPATED, WITH ELEMENTS OF THE BATTALION, ON D-DAY LANDINGS IN FOUR AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS ON ISLANDS AGAINST THE JAPANESE FROM NOVEMBER 1, 1943 TO APRIL 1, 1945. INCLUDED WERE THE ISLANDS OF BOUGAINVILLE, EMIRAU, GUAM AND OKINAWA. THE MEMBERS OF THE III CORPS SIGNAL BATTALION WERE AWARDED BOTH THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND THE NAVY UNIT CITATION. A BRIEF PARTIAL QUOTE FROM THE LATTER: '...THIS SPLENDID RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT MADE POSSIBLE ONLY BY THE COMBINED EFFORTS, LOYALTY AND COURAGEOUS DEVOTION TO DUTY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, AND WAS A DECISIVE FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE HAZARDOUS BOUGAINVILLE, GUAM, PALAU AND OKINAWA CAMPAIGNS AND REFLECTS THE HIGHEST CREDIT UPON THE III AMPHIBIOUS CORPS SIGNAL BATTALION AND THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE...'. AFTER NEARLY THIRTY MONTHS OF SERVICE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN LATE JULY 1945. CONTINUED TO SERVE IN THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE UNTIL MARCH 5, 1951 AT WHICH TIME HE RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE AT MONROE, MICHIGAN WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.