World War II Honoree

Robert L. Zehetner

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Brooksville, Florida

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. On December 16, 1941, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Florida. His boot camp training took place with the Sixth Recruit Battalion, Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base at Parris Island, South Carolina. Later he completed his Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Served as a Rifleman with the Second Marine Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Fox Company, Second Battalion and Eighth Marine Regiment. His division participated in the amphibious assault Against the Imperial Japanese forces in the Battle of Tarawa. The combat Engagement took place on the Island of Betio, located on the Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Killed in action Saturday, November 20, 1943 on the first 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.The unidentifiable were laid to Rest as unknowns in the Honolulu National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, 'Punchbowl’ Hawaii. In October of 2016, the Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency in Hawaii disinterred the Tarawa Unknowns from Punchbowl. The remains were transferred to their Honolulu laboratory for analysis, where he was identified. The remains of This Marine were interred with Military Honors, November 30, 2018, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. This American Patriot was Awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in Defense of his country.