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The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February and March 1945 during World War II and was marked by some of the fiercest fighting of the war.
Wilson Douglas Watson (February 16, 1922 – December 19, 1994) [1] was a United States Marine Corps private who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on Iwo Jima during World War II. He single-handedly killed 60 [n 1] enemy soldiers, thus enabling his platoon to advance, earning him the name "One-Man Regiment of Iwo Jima". [4]
Similar to previous battles on Japanese-held islands, on Iwo Jima Japanese soldiers who knew English were used to harass and or deceive Marines units; English-speaking IJA troops often yelled "corpsman", pretending to be a wounded Marine, in order to lure and kill the U.S. Navy medical personnel attached to Marine infantry companies. [34]
Hayes boarded the USS Winged Arrow [3] and left Iwo Jima with his unit for Hawaii on March 27. Easy Company had many casualties, Hayes was one of five marines remaining from his original platoon of forty-five men, including their corpsmen. [22] Sgt. Strank and Cpl. Block were killed on Iwo Jima on March 1, and Pfc. Sousley was killed on March 21.
Private First Class James Dennis La Belle (November 22, 1925 – March 8, 1945) enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on November 18, 1943. Fifteen months later, in his first and last battle, he heroically sacrificed his life at Iwo Jima and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor awarded by the United States.
Franklin Runyon Sousley (September 19, 1925 – March 21, 1945) was a United States Marine who was killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.He was one of the six marines who raised the second of two U.S. flags on top of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, as shown in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.
On March 26, 1945, the island was considered secure and the battle of Iwo Jima was officially ended. The 28th Marines left Iwo Jima on March 27 and returned to Hawaii to the 5th Marine Division training camp. Lt. Col. Johnson was killed in action on March 2, Sgt. Genaust was killed on March 4, Sgt. Strank and Cpl. Block were killed on March 1 ...
John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumously for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima.