World War II Honoree

Claudius M. 'Speck' Easley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: BRIGADIER GENERAL. SERVED AS ASSISTANT DIVISION COMMANDER OF THE 96TH INFANTRY ‘DEADEYES’ DIVISION IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES: LEYTE, SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION BY A JAPANESE MACHINE GUNNER DURING THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA, CODE NAME: OPERATION ICEBERG, WHICH BECAME THE LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT IN THE PACIFIC WAR OF WORLD WAR II. THE BATTLE WAS THE LARGEST, SLOWEST, AND BLOODIEST SEA-LAND-AIR BATTLE IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY. ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 1945 HE WAS ON THE FRONT LINE DIRECTING FIRE ON THE LAST ENEMY POSITIONS ON THE ISLAND. HIS DEATH OCCURRED TWO DAYS BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THE OKINAWA CAMPAIGN AND HE WAS THE EIGHTEENTH AMERICAN GENERAL KILLED IN ACTION IN WORLD WAR II. HE WAS BURIED IN THE TENTH ARMY CEMETERY ON OKINAWA AND AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES WITH JAPAN, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT FEBRUARY 23, 1949 IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, FORT MYER, VIRGINIA. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: LEGION OF MERIT, SILVER STAR AND THE PURPLE HEART. THE LEGION OF MERIT WAS BESTOWED UPON THE GENERAL FOR EXCEPTIONALLY MERITORIOUS CONDUCT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUTSTANDING SERVICES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LEYTE CAMPAIGN. THE SILVER STAR WAS ALSO BESTOWED UPON THE GENERAL MAY 8, 1945 FOR DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY IN ACTION AND VALOR IN COMBAT AGAINST AN ENEMY FORCE ON OKINAWA. THE PURPLE HEART FOR WOUNDS SUSTAINED IN THE LEYTE BATTLE AND FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.