World War II Honoree

William Dean Hawkins

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Fort Scott, Kansas

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. FIRST LIEUTENANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS. BORN: APRIL 19, 1914, FORT SCOTT, KANSAS. APPOINTED FROM: EL PASO, TEXAS. CITATION: 'FOR VALOROUS AND GALLANT CONDUCT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS COMMANDING OFFICER OF A SCOUT SNIPER PLATOON ATTACHED TO THE ASSAULT REGIMENT IN ACTION AGAINST JAPANESE-HELD TARAWA IN THE GILBERT ISLAND, NOVEMBER 20 AND 21, 1943. THE FIRST TO DISEMBARK FROM THE JEEP LIGHTER, FIRST LIEUTENANT HAWKINS UNHESITATINGLY MOVED FORWARD UNDER HEAVY ENEMY FIRE AT THE END OF THE BETIO PIER, NEUTRALIZING EMPLACEMENTS IN COVERAGE OF TROOPS ASSAULTING THE MAIN BEACH POSITIONS. FEARLESSLY LEADING HIS MEN ON TO JOIN THE FORCES FIGHTING DESPERATELY TO GAIN A BEACHHEAD, HE REPEATEDLY RISKED HIS LIFE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT TO DIRECT AND LEAD ATTACKS ON PILLBOXES AND INSTALLATIONS WITH GRENADES AND DEMOLITIONS. AT DAWN ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, FIRST LIEUTENANT HAWKINS RESUMED THE DANGEROUS MISSION OF CLEARING THE LIMITED BEACHHEAD OF JAPANESE RESISTANCE, PERSONALLY INITIATING AN ASSAULT ON A HOSTILE POSITION FORTIFIED BY 5 ENEMY MACHINE GUNS, AND, CRAWLING FORWARD IN THE FACE OF WITHERING FIRE, BOLDLY FIRED POINTBLANK INTO THE LOOPHOLES AND COMPLETED THE DESTRUCTION WITH GRENADES. REFUSING TO WITHDRAW AFTER BEING SERIOUSLY WOUNDED IN THE CHEST DURING THIS SKIRMISH, FIRST LIEUTENANT HAWKINS STEADFASTLY CARRIED THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY, DESTROYING 3 MORE PILLBOXES BEFORE HE WAS CAUGHT IN A BURST OF JAPANESE SHELLFIRE AND MORTALLY WOUNDED. HIS RELENTLESS FIGHTING SPIRIT IN THE FACE OF FORMIDABLE OPPOSITION AND HIS EXCEPTIONALLY DARING TACTICS SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION TO HIS COMRADES DURING THE MOST CRUCIAL PHASE OF THE BATTLE AND REFLECT THE HIGHEST CREDIT UPON THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE. HE GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.'