World War II Honoree

Jack V. Allen

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Norman, Oklahoma

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS MARCH 10, 1937, WHO COMPLETED BASIC COMBAT TRAINING AND SEA SCHOOLING AT THE MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. SERVED WITH THE MARINE DIVE BOMBER SQUADRON TWO THIRTY-ONE VMSB-231, MARINE AIR GROUP-TWENTY ONE, SECOND MARINE AIRCRAFT WING IN THE PACIFIC THEATER. ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1941 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION DURING THE BATTLE OF WAKE ISLAND, NICKNAMED: ALAMO OF THE PACIFIC (DECEMBER 8-23, 1941) WHEN THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES INVADED THE ISLAND AND WAS BURIED IN THE UNITED STATES CEMETERY LOCATED ON PEACOCK POINT, WAKE ISLAND. HIS REMAINS WERE REPATRIATED FROM WAKE IN 1946 AND TRANSFERRED TO HONOLULU, WITH INTERMENT IN A COMMON GRAVE, SECTION-G, PLOT: WAKE ISLAND DEFENDERS LOCATED IN THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC, ‘PUNCHBOWL’ HAWAII. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: PURPLE HEART, AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL AND THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL. HE WAS AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WHO WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART (POSTHUMOUSLY) FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.