World War II Honoree

Joseph Andrew Zayac

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Boonton, New Jersey

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. On February 26, 1943, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from New Jersey. His boot camp training took place with Twelfth 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 Sixth Marine Division in the Northwest Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Headquarters Company/Service Battery, First Battalion and Fifteenth Marine Regiment. His division participated in the Battle of Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands against the Imperial Japanese and Naval forces (Battle Dates: Easter Sunday, April 1–June 22, 1945) Code Name: Operation Iceberg. Killed in action Monday, May 14, 1945 and buried in the Sixth Marine Division battlefield cemetery on Okinawa. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that his remains be transferred to Honolulu. He was laid to rest March 3, 1949 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.