World War II Honoree

John K. Walsh

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Pueblo, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Platoon Sergeant. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps October 10, 1940 at Denver, Colorado. Following his Basic Military Training at the Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California and infantry training at Camp Pendleton Oceanside, California. Along with any additional training, he was deployed to the North Pacific Theater of Operations. He served as a tactical adviser to his Platoon’s commanding Officer in Bravo Company, assigned to the First Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines and an element of the Fifth Amphibious Corps. His unit participated in the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands Campaign. On Tuesday, February 22, 1944 he was fatally wounded, on Parry Island Eniwetok Atoll, during offensive operations against the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, with burial in the Coral Sands battlefield cemetery, Kirinian Island. In the post-war era, this Marines’ family requested that he be buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery Location: Wheat Ridge, Colorado, with Military Honors. This American Patriot received the following decorations posthumously: Silver Star and the Purple Heart. The Silver Star was awarded to the Sergeant for Distinguished Gallantry in Action and Valor in Combat against an enemy force and the Purple Heart for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.