World War II Honoree

Zihlman T. Minick

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Akron, Ohio

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps June 8, 1942 with induction at Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed basic training with the Seventh Recruit Battalion Recruit Depot; Marine Barracks Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Geiger, North Carolina for combat training. Following infantry training, he served as a Rifleman with Headquarters Company, Second Battalion, Second Marine Regiment, an element of the Second Marine Division Location: Central Pacific Theater of Operations. His division participated in the amphibious assault on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll Gilbert Islands Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Saturday, November 20, 1943 he was mortally wounded, during combat operations against the Imperial army forces. Succeeding the Battle, his Brothers-in-Arms buried him in the Betio Lone Palm battlefield cemetery. In the post-war era, this Marines’ family requested that he be buried, with Military Honors at the Green Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Akron, Ohio. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate.