World War II Honoree

Frank D. Castle

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Bellefontaine, Ohio

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Corporal. On January 14, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps at Cincinnati, Ohio. His boot camp training took place with the Eleventh 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 Mortar Crewman with the Twenty-Second Marine Regiment in the North Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Golf Company, Second Battalion and Fifth Amphibious Corps. His regiment participated in the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll (Battle Dates: February 17-23, 1944) Code name: Operation Flintlock, Marshall Islands Campaign. Killed in Action Tuesday, February 22, 1944 during combat operations against the Imperial Japanese forces on the Island of Parry, and buried in the Coral Sands battlefield cemetery on Kirinian Island. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine received his remains for burial. He was laid to rest March 9, 1948 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.