World War II Honoree

William H. Genaust

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. On February 11, 1943, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Minnesota. His boot camp training took place with the First Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base at Parris Island, South Carolina. After boot camp, he was transferred to Quantico, Virginia for training to become a Marine Corps motion picture photographer. Served as a Combat cameraman with the Fifth Marine Division in the Western Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion and Twenty-Eighth Regiment. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval forces on Iwo Jima (Battle Dates: February 19-March 26, 1945) Code Name: Operation Detachment. He took pictures of the five marines and one Navy Corpsman, who raised the first United States Flag ‘Old Glory’ on Mount Suribachi February 23, 1945. Reported missing in action Sunday, March 4, 1945 while marines were securing a cave, he volunteered to use his movie camera light to illuminate their way into the cavern. While entering the cave, his fellow marines lost track of him during an exchange of gunfire. After the battle, the cave entrance was covered over by bulldozing equipment. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Honolulu National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. The following decorations were awarded posthumously: Bronze Star with the V-Device and the Purple Heart with on Gold Star. The Bronze Star awarded for Bravery, Act of Merit and Meritorious Service in Combat. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.