World War II Honoree

Millard Odom

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

National City, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. On September 14, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from California. His boot camp training took place with the Fifth Recruit Battalion, Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. Later he completed his Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Served as a Squad leader with the Second Marine Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Kilo Company, Third Battalion and Second 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 20, 2018 at the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, California. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.