World War II Honoree

David W. Patterson, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Anchorage, Alaska

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps July 6, 1942 at Los Angeles, California, with recruit training assigned to the Sixth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Pendleton Oceanside, California for combat training. Served as a Rifleman assigned to Easy Company, Second Battalion, Sixth Marine Regiment and Second Marine Division. His division participated in the amphibious assault ‘Battle of Tarawa’ against the Imperial Japanese forces Location: Central Pacific Theater of Operations. The combat engagement took place on the Island of Betio, Tarawa Atoll Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic. On November 27, 1943 he was killed in action, while conducting a mopping up operation, ending all organized resistance on the atoll. At the conclusion of the Battle, his Brothers-in-Arms buried him in the Lone Palm cemetery on Betio. Succeeding hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that he be buried with Military Honors at a private cemetery in Indiana. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.