World War II Honoree

Joseph Galo

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Salina, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps January 23, 1943 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with recruit training assigned to the Thirteenth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base at Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Geiger, North Carolina for combat training. Served as a Rifleman 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 Sunday, February 20, 1944 during combat operations against the Imperial Japanese forces on the Island of Eniwetok, 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, with interment at the West View Cemetery in Avonmore, Pennsylvania. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.