Corporal United States Marine Corps WWII (wounded in combat on Okinawa); married to Mary Emma Good from 1954 until his death.
Jack had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a lively sense of humor. After the war, he went to Presbyterian College and then became a businessman, operating two Standard Oil stations in Sarasota, Florida.
World War II Military Service: Jack served in the 6th Marine Division (Company E, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Regiment). He trained first at Parris Island, second at the US Naval Ammunitions Depot in Hastings, Nebraska and third did infantry training at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton for final training before being sent to the Marianas. Upon completion of training, his unit joined the Sixth Marine Division in late 1944. The sixth division was formed on Guadalcanal in September 1944 in preparation for further island invasions to culminate in the invasion of Japan. Jack's 22nd Battalion landed on Okinawa's Green Beach on April 1, 1945 and secured the left flank of the landing force. Following the landing, they joined with the rest of the Sixth Division to advance and secure the north end of the island. On the morning of April 5 during active combat, Jack was hit in both legs by Japanese machine gun fire. Bullets slightly damaged his right knee and severely injured his left thigh, including a compound and comminuted fracture of his left femur accompanied by great blood loss; only the heroic efforts of field corpsmen prevented him from bleeding out. In the next few days, Jack would receive six transfusions of whole blood and additional transfusions of plasma.
Jack was initially evacuated by the 6th Medical Battalion to the hospital ship USS RELIEF to Saipan for three weeks, and subsequently to naval hospitals first at Aiea Heights, Hawaii (5/6/45), then Oakland, California (7/10/45), then Farragut, Idaho (7/21/45), and finally to the US Naval Hospital at Pensacola, Florida (9/15/45) where he stayed until his medical discharge on 5/29/46.
Jack's knee injury healed without setbacks, but the severe damage to his femur became problematic after delayed setting of the bones (because of initial focus on blood loss and infection), and the splintering of the bone necessitating insertion of metal rods and pins, with later adjustment surgeries as the bone healed crooked. Further, x-rays taken during his treatment showed "numerous tiny metallic foreign bodies" (shrapnel fragments) throughout the leg's soft tissue.
Jack died quickly on 5/8/62 at the age of 38; his wife was told that one of the shrapnel fragments dislodged and caused a massive heart attack. His family is proud of his service and considers his death to have been a delayed war casualty.
Jack had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a lively sense of humor. After the war, he went to Presbyterian College and then became a businessman, operating two Standard Oil stations in Sarasota, Florida.
World War II Military Service: Jack served in the 6th Marine Division (Company E, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Regiment). He trained first at Parris Island, second at the US Naval Ammunitions Depot in Hastings, Nebraska and third did infantry training at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton for final training before being sent to the Marianas. Upon completion of training, his unit joined the Sixth Marine Division in late 1944. The sixth division was formed on Guadalcanal in September 1944 in preparation for further island invasions to culminate in the invasion of Japan. Jack's 22nd Battalion landed on Okinawa's Green Beach on April 1, 1945 and secured the left flank of the landing force. Following the landing, they joined with the rest of the Sixth Division to advance and secure the north end of the island. On the morning of April 5 during active combat, Jack was hit in both legs by Japanese machine gun fire. Bullets slightly damaged his right knee and severely injured his left thigh, including a compound and comminuted fracture of his left femur accompanied by great blood loss; only the heroic efforts of field corpsmen prevented him from bleeding out. In the next few days, Jack would receive six transfusions of whole blood and additional transfusions of plasma.
Jack was initially evacuated by the 6th Medical Battalion to the hospital ship USS RELIEF to Saipan for three weeks, and subsequently to naval hospitals first at Aiea Heights, Hawaii (5/6/45), then Oakland, California (7/10/45), then Farragut, Idaho (7/21/45), and finally to the US Naval Hospital at Pensacola, Florida (9/15/45) where he stayed until his medical discharge on 5/29/46.
Jack's knee injury healed without setbacks, but the severe damage to his femur became problematic after delayed setting of the bones (because of initial focus on blood loss and infection), and the splintering of the bone necessitating insertion of metal rods and pins, with later adjustment surgeries as the bone healed crooked. Further, x-rays taken during his treatment showed "numerous tiny metallic foreign bodies" (shrapnel fragments) throughout the leg's soft tissue.
Jack died quickly on 5/8/62 at the age of 38; his wife was told that one of the shrapnel fragments dislodged and caused a massive heart attack. His family is proud of his service and considers his death to have been a delayed war casualty.
Corporal United States Marine Corps WWII (wounded in combat on Okinawa); married to Mary Emma Good from 1954 until his death.
Jack had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a lively sense of humor. After the war, he went to Presbyterian College and then became a businessman, operating two Standard Oil stations in Sarasota, Florida.
World War II Military Service: Jack served in the 6th Marine Division (Company E, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Regiment). He trained first at Parris Island, second at the US Naval Ammunitions Depot in Hastings, Nebraska and third did infantry training at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton for final training before being sent to the Marianas. Upon completion of training, his unit joined the Sixth Marine Division in late 1944. The sixth division was formed on Guadalcanal in September 1944 in preparation for further island invasions to culminate in the invasion of Japan. Jack's 22nd Battalion landed on Okinawa's Green Beach on April 1, 1945 and secured the left flank of the landing force. Following the landing, they joined with the rest of the Sixth Division to advance and secure the north end of the island. On the morning of April 5 during active combat, Jack was hit in both legs by Japanese machine gun fire. Bullets slightly damaged his right knee and severely injured his left thigh, including a compound and comminuted fracture of his left femur accompanied by great blood loss; only the heroic efforts of field corpsmen prevented him from bleeding out. In the next few days, Jack would receive six transfusions of whole blood and additional transfusions of plasma.
Jack was initially evacuated by the 6th Medical Battalion to the hospital ship USS RELIEF to Saipan for three weeks, and subsequently to naval hospitals first at Aiea Heights, Hawaii (5/6/45), then Oakland, California (7/10/45), then Farragut, Idaho (7/21/45), and finally to the US Naval Hospital at Pensacola, Florida (9/15/45) where he stayed until his medical discharge on 5/29/46.
Jack's knee injury healed without setbacks, but the severe damage to his femur became problematic after delayed setting of the bones (because of initial focus on blood loss and infection), and the splintering of the bone necessitating insertion of metal rods and pins, with later adjustment surgeries as the bone healed crooked. Further, x-rays taken during his treatment showed "numerous tiny metallic foreign bodies" (shrapnel fragments) throughout the leg's soft tissue.
Jack died quickly on 5/8/62 at the age of 38; his wife was told that one of the shrapnel fragments dislodged and caused a massive heart attack. His family is proud of his service and considers his death to have been a delayed war casualty.
Jack had brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a lively sense of humor. After the war, he went to Presbyterian College and then became a businessman, operating two Standard Oil stations in Sarasota, Florida.
World War II Military Service: Jack served in the 6th Marine Division (Company E, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Regiment). He trained first at Parris Island, second at the US Naval Ammunitions Depot in Hastings, Nebraska and third did infantry training at Camp Lejeune before going to Camp Pendleton for final training before being sent to the Marianas. Upon completion of training, his unit joined the Sixth Marine Division in late 1944. The sixth division was formed on Guadalcanal in September 1944 in preparation for further island invasions to culminate in the invasion of Japan. Jack's 22nd Battalion landed on Okinawa's Green Beach on April 1, 1945 and secured the left flank of the landing force. Following the landing, they joined with the rest of the Sixth Division to advance and secure the north end of the island. On the morning of April 5 during active combat, Jack was hit in both legs by Japanese machine gun fire. Bullets slightly damaged his right knee and severely injured his left thigh, including a compound and comminuted fracture of his left femur accompanied by great blood loss; only the heroic efforts of field corpsmen prevented him from bleeding out. In the next few days, Jack would receive six transfusions of whole blood and additional transfusions of plasma.
Jack was initially evacuated by the 6th Medical Battalion to the hospital ship USS RELIEF to Saipan for three weeks, and subsequently to naval hospitals first at Aiea Heights, Hawaii (5/6/45), then Oakland, California (7/10/45), then Farragut, Idaho (7/21/45), and finally to the US Naval Hospital at Pensacola, Florida (9/15/45) where he stayed until his medical discharge on 5/29/46.
Jack's knee injury healed without setbacks, but the severe damage to his femur became problematic after delayed setting of the bones (because of initial focus on blood loss and infection), and the splintering of the bone necessitating insertion of metal rods and pins, with later adjustment surgeries as the bone healed crooked. Further, x-rays taken during his treatment showed "numerous tiny metallic foreign bodies" (shrapnel fragments) throughout the leg's soft tissue.
Jack died quickly on 5/8/62 at the age of 38; his wife was told that one of the shrapnel fragments dislodged and caused a massive heart attack. His family is proud of his service and considers his death to have been a delayed war casualty.
