World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
R.J. George
Branch of Service
U.S. Marine Corps
Hometown
Bell City, Missouri
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. DEPLOYED OVERSEAS WITH OTHER INDIVIDUAL REPLACEMENTS, AND SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 4TH MARINE 'FIGHTING FOURTH' DIVISION DURING THE WAR. SERVED ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS, WHERE HE EXPERIENCED HIS 'BAPTISM BY FIRE' WHEN INCOMING ENEMY ARTILLERY STRUCK NEAR HIS POSITION. THEN, PARTICIPATED IN THE IWO JIMA OPERATION IN THE BONIN ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO. ON D-DAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1945, HIS LANDING CRAFT WAS CIRCLING OFFSHORE IWO JIMA WHILE THE FIRST WAVE HIT THE BEACH. HE LANDED IN THE AFTERNOON AND AS HE MOVED OFF THE LANDING CRAFT, HE WAS STRUCK BY THE NUMBER OF BODIES ON THE BEACH. HE RECALLS TRYING TO DIG A FOXHOLE IN THE LOOSE BLACK VOLCANIC SAND, AND UNCOVERING A DEAD BODY. HE MOVED TO ANOTHER LOCATION AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO DIG, ONLY TO UNCOVER ANOTHER BODY. HE THEN STOPPED HIS EFFORTS TO DIG IN. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE MESSAGE CENTER OF A MARINE REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS COMPANY. HIS PRIMARY JOB WAS TO DELIVER MESSAGES AS THEY CAME IN. THAT WORK KEPT HIM OUT OF DIRECT COMBAT. HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG ON MOUNT SURIBACHI, BUT HE HEARD THE SHIP HORNS BLARING AND SOON GOT THE WORD ABOUT THE EVENT. IT RAISED HIS MORALE AS WELL AS THOSE HE WAS WITH, BUT HE REALIZED THAT THE BATTLE WAS NOT YET WON. ON MARCH 26, 1945, AFTER SOME 5 WEEKS, IWO JIMA WAS FINALLY SECURE. THE FIGHTING COST ALMOST 6,000 MARINE DEAD AND SOME 17,372 WOUNDED. DURING THE COURSE OF HIS DUTIES, HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME NAVAJO INDIAN CODE TALKERS. HIS UNIT WAS TRANSPORTED TO HAWAII BY AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER WHERE HE SERVED SEVERAL MONTHS IN TRAINING FOR FURTHER COMBAT. HE WAS IN HAWAII WHEN HE LEARNED OF THE DROPPING OF THE ATOMIC BOMBS, THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN, AND VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J) DAY WAS ANNOUNCED. AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION WITH BRONZE STAR, NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.