World War II Honoree

Henry Andregg, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Corporal. On June 6, 1942, he entered the United States Marine Corps from Tennessee, receiving his Boot Camp Training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. Later he completed his Tank Schooling, at the Fleet Marine Force Training Center, Camp Elliott Marine Corps Base in California. Served as a tank crew member in Company-C, Second Amphibious Tractor Battalion, and a subordinate unit of the Second Marine ‘the Silent Second’ Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese army forces on Betio Island, Tarawa atoll in the battle of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Killed in action Sunday, November 21, 1943 on the second day of the invasion and buried in a temporary battlefield cemetery. At the conclusion of the Battle, the remains were moved to the Lone Palm cemetery. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company, Quartermaster Corps conducted recovery operations from the Lone Palm Cemetery. The remains were transferred to a laboratory at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii for identification, and the unidentifiable were laid to rest as unknowns in Punchbowl. In October of 2016, the Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency disinterred the Tarawa Unknowns from Punchbowl and sent the remains to their laboratory for analysis, where he was identified on May 19, 2017. The remains of this Marine were interred with Military Honors at the Chattanooga National Cemetery August 25, 2017 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This Marine, an American Patriot awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.