World War II Honoree

Wesley Lynn Pollock

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Tacoma, Washington

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: ASSISTANT COOK. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS APRIL 21, 1943 AND COMPLETED BASIC COMBAT TRAINING AND SEA SCHOOL AT THE MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. ASSIGNED TO A MARINE DETACHMENT, HE SERVED ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP, USS TENNESSEE DD-540 AS SECOND LOADER FOR NUMBER THIRTY-ONE 20MM GUN MOUNT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ON THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1945 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN A JAPANESE KAMIKAZE FLEW INTO HIS GUN BATTERY DURING THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA AND WAS LATER BURIED AT SEA. HE IS MEMORIALIZED AT THE COURTS OF THE MISSING, HONOLULU NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY, ‘PUNCHBOWL’ HAWAII. DECORATION AND CITATION: PURPLE HEART. THE MARINE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.