World War II Honoree

John Claude Green, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Waterbury Center, Vermont

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps January 7, 1942 at Rutland, Vermont, with recruit training assigned to the Third 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 First Marine ‘the Old Breed’ Division in the Southwestern Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Charlie Company, First Battalion and First Marine Regiment. His Division participated in the amphibious assault on the island of Guadalcanal (Battle Dates: August 7, 1942-February 9, 1943) Solomon Islands Campaign, Code Name: Operation Watchtower. Killed in Action Friday August 23, 1942 during combat operations against the Imperial Japanese Forces and buried in the First Marine Division battlefield cemetery on Guadalcanal. 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 January 6, 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.