World War II Honoree

Laurence Dwight Young

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Strafford, Missouri

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps February 26, 1943 at Kansas City, Missouri, 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 Charlie Company, First Battalion, Eighth 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. Reported missing in action or buried at sea November 20, 1943. In remembrance of the brave, his name is recorded in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Honolulu Memorial Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. A private organization in the year of 2002 discovered a burial grave, with military gear and other artifacts on Betio Island. The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency was notified of the findings and through exhaustive forensic identification, he was identified. The family of this Marine requested that he be buried with Military Honors at Springfield National Cemetery Springfield, Missouri, with interment February 9, 2004. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.