World War II Honoree

Raymond Mostek

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Dover, Idaho

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps October 21, 1942 at Seattle, Washington, with recruit training assigned to the Third Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California for combat training. Served as a Rifleman with the Second Marine Division, assigned to Baker Company, First Battalion and Second Marine Regiment. His division participated in the amphibious assault in the Battle of Tarawa Location: Central Pacific Theater of Operations. The combat engagement took place on the Island of Betio, located on the Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Killed in action Saturday, November 20, 1943 during a combat operation against the Imperial Japanese forces on the first day of the invasion. At the conclusion of the Battle, his Brothers-in-Arms buried him in the Lone Palm cemetery on Betio. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that he be buried in the Honolulu National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii, with interment January 28, 1949. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.