World War II Honoree

Daniel Carroll Pollock

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

ATTENDED THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT, NEW YORK, AND GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY BEFORE ENLISTING IN THE MARINES IN 1936. A MARINE CORPS COLONEL WHO WAS HIGHLY DECORATED FOR HIS COMBAT SERVICE ON IWO JIMA, RECEIVED THE NAVY CROSS, THE SERVICE'S HIGHEST AWARD FOR BRAVERY OTHER THAN THE MEDAL OF HONOR, FOR HIS WORK AS A BATTALION COMMANDER WITH THE 5TH MARINE DIVISION ON IWO JIMA IN MARCH 1945. THE CITATION SAID THAT MORE THAN HALF OF COLONEL POLLACK'S BATTALION HAD BEEN KILLED OR WOUNDED BY THE FIFTH DAY OF INTENSE COMBAT AGAINST THE JAPANESE. BUT HE CONTINUED MOVING TOWARD THE FRONT LINES AND CONDUCTED PERSONAL RECONNAISSANCE OF AN AREA BEHIND HILL 165, 'THE LAST HIGH GROUND ON THE ISLAND CONTROLLED BY THE JAPANESE. 'A BRILLIANT AND FEARLESS LEADER, HE DIRECTED THE CAPTURE AND OCCUPATION OF THE HILL WITH ONLY A MINIMUM OF PERSONNEL LOSSES AND LED A SMALL RECONNAISSANCE PATROL INTO HAZARDOUS, UNEXPLORED BEACH AREAS, LOCATING ROUTES OF APPROACH TO THE FINAL RAVINE POSITIONS OF THE JAPANESE”. HIS WORK LED TO 'THE ELIMINATION OF A VITAL STRONG POINT' OF THE ENEMY, IT SAID. HIS OTHER DECORATIONS FOR HIS SERVICE ON IWO JIMA INCLUDED THE PURPLE HEART. HE LATER WAS AMONG THE FIRST AMERICANS TO LEAD U.S. FORCES INTO JAPAN AT THE END OF THE WAR.