World War II Honoree

Henry Louis Bellmon

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

College Classmate

ENLISTED U.S. MARINE CORPS, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA IN APRIL, 1942, AND WAS SENT TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AT QUANTICO, VIRGINIA IN NOVEMBER. HE COMPLETED RESERVE OFFICERS CLASS IN FEBRUARY 1943 AND WAS SENT TO THE INFANTRY TRAINING CENTER, CAMP ELLIOTT, CALIFORNIA. HE COMPLETED TANK TRAINING SCHOOL, JACQUES FARM, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. AS A MEMBER OF THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION, HE LANDED ON JAPANESE HELD MARSHALL ISLANDS: ROI AND NAMUR, THEN TO MAUI, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, TO RETRAIN AND RE-EQUIP. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF SAIPAN, TINIAN AND IWO JIMA AND RECEIVED THE SILVER STAR. AFTER THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA HE BECAME EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF COMPANY C, WENT BACK TO MAUI AND THE WAR WAS OVER.