World War II Honoree

John G. Zeller

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Baltimore, Maryland

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. On June 17, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Maryland. His boot camp training took place with the Seventh 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 Rifleman with the Third Marine Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operation, assigned to Alpha Company, First Battalion and Third Marine Regiment. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces on the Island of Guam Code Name: Operation Forager. Killed in Action Tuesday, July 25, 1944 on the first day of the invasion, and buried in a battlefield cemetery on Guam. 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 February 16, 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.