World War II Honoree

Arthur S. Yeomans

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Hamden, Connecticut

Honored By

Family

STATE RIFLE CHAMPION HOLDING THREE WORLDS' RECORDS IN SHOOTING, HE ALSO ATTENDED THE JOHN GARAND SCHOOL FOR GARAND RIFLES. HE FIRST WORKED IN NEW HAVEN AT HIGH STANDARD AS A TOOL DESIGNER AND AND WAS GIVEN A TWO YEAR GOVERNMENT DEFERMENT FROM ENTERING THE MARINE CORPS BECAUSE HIS WORK WAS SO EXCEPTIONAL. HE ENTERED THE U.S. MARINE CORPS IN 1943 AS PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WEAPONS INSTRUCTOR IN A TRAINING COMMAND ON PARRIS ISLAND. ONE OF HIS JOBS WAS TO PUT ON SHOOTING EXPOSITIONS WITH THE SPRINGFIELD RIFLE SHOOTING INSTRUCTORS. HE ALSO TAUGHT SNIPERS AT CAMP PENDLETON. HE WAS THEN STATIONED IN THE PACIFIC DURING WWII IN GUAM, JAPAN AND CHINA. HE WAS FIRST ASSIGNED TO THE MARINE ENGINEERING BATTALION ON GUAM. HE MADE THE INITIAL LANDINGS ON SASEBO ON KYUSHU, JAPAN, AND ON NAGASAKI, AFTER THE BLAST. HE LANDED IN TINSIN, CHINA PARTICIPATING IN THE REMOVAL OF ONE MILLION JAPANESE MILITARY PERSONNEL AND HELPED THE U.S. TROOPS SHIP THEM BACK TO JAPAN.