World War II Honoree

Frank Peter Witek

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Derby, Connecticut

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS, U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE. ACCREDITED TO: ILLINOIS. CITATION: FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WHILE SERVING WITH THE 1ST BATTALION, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARINE DIVISION, DURING THE BATTLE OF FINEGAYEN AT GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS ON AUGUST 3, 1944. WHEN HIS RIFLE PLATOON WAS HALTED BY HEAVY SURPRISE FIRE FROM WELL-CAMOUFLAGED ENEMY POSITIONS, HE DARINGLY REMAINED STANDING TO FIRE A FULL MAGAZINE FROM HIS AUTOMATIC AT POINT-BLANK RANGE INTO A DEPRESSION HOUSING JAPANESE TROOPS, KILLING 8 OF THE ENEMY AND ENABLING THE GREATER PART OF HIS PLATOON TO TAKE COVER. DURING HIS PLATOON'S WITHDRAWAL FOR CONSOLIDATION OF LINES, HE REMAINED TO SAFEGUARD A SEVERELY WOUNDED COMRADE, COURAGEOUSLY RETURNING THE ENEMY'S FIRE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF STRETCHER BEARERS AND THEN COVERING THE EVACUATION BY SUSTAINED FIRE AS HE MOVED BACKWARD TOWARD HIS OWN LINES. WITH HIS PLATOON AGAIN PINNED DOWN BY A HOSTILE MACHINE GUN, ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, MOVED FORWARD BOLDLY TO THE REINFORCING TANKS AND INFANTRY, ALTERNATELY THROWING HAND GRENADES AND FIRING AS HE ADVANCED TO WITHIN 5-10 YARDS OF THE ENEMY POSITION DESTROYING THE HOSTILE MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT AND AN ADDITIONAL 8 JAPANESE BEFORE HE HIMSELF WAS STRUCK DOWN BY AN ENEMY RIFLEMAN. HIS VALIANT AND INSPIRING ACTION EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THE ENEMY'S FIREPOWER, THEREBY ENABLING HIS PLATOON TO ATTAIN ITS OBJECTIVE.