World War II Honoree

Henry Gurke

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Neche, North Dakota

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. MARINE CORPS. ACCREDITED TO NORTH DAKOTA. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND COURAGE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WHILE ATTACHED TO THE 3D MARINE RAIDER BATTALION DURING ACTION AGAINST ENEMY JAPANESE FORCES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AREA ON NOVEMBER 9, 1943. WHILE HIS PLATOON WAS ENGAGED IN THE DEFENSE OF A VITAL ROAD BLOCK NEAR EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY ON BOUGAINVILLE ISLAND. GURKE, IN COMPANY WITH ANOTHER MARINE, WAS DELIVERING A FIERCE STREAM OF FIRE AGAINST THE MAIN VANGUARD OF THE JAPANESE. CONCLUDING FROM THE INCREASING FEROCITY OF GRENADE BARRAGES THAT THE ENEMY WAS DETERMINED TO ANNIHILATE THEIR SMALL, TWO MAN FOXHOLE, HE RESORTED TO A BOLD AND DESPERATE MEASURE FOR HOLDING OUT DESPITE THE TORRENTIAL HAIL OF SHELLS. WHEN A JAPANESE GRENADE DROPPED SQUARELY INTO THE FOXHOLE, GURKE, MINDFUL THAT HIS COMPANION MANNED AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON OF SUPERIOR FIRE POWER AND THEREFORE COULD PROVIDE MORE EFFECTIVE RESISTANCE, THRUST HIM ROUGHLY ASIDE AND FLUNG HIS OWN BODY OVER THE MISSILE TO SMOTHER THE EXPLOSION. WITH UNSWERVING DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SUPERB VALOR, GURKE SACRIFICED HIMSELF IN ORDER THAT HIS COMRADE MIGHT LIVE TO CARRY ON THE FIGHT. HE GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY.