Weldon Odell Stautzenberger was the son of Oscar A. Stautzenberger and Myrtle Greebon. At the time of his death he was married to Vera Stautzenberger. He was married twice and had five children from his first marriage. Odell received his schooling in the public schools of Bexar County and spent summers and holidays working on his grandparents farm in Seguin, Texas. Mr.Stautzenberger graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1942. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, Mr.Stautzenberger was an All-City and All-District football player and broke several records on the track team in the shotput and discus events. Mr. Stautzenberger's academic and sports career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.
Mr. Stautzenberger served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in which he was a member of the famed Carlson's Second Marine Raider Battalion. After the four Raider Battalions were merged together in 1944,
Mr. Stautzenberger served as an Automatic Rifleman in the Second Battalion,Fourth Marine Regiment, Sixth Marine Division. Mr. Stautzenberger was wounded in action twice during the war, in which he received leg wounds from
Japanese mortar fire in bitter Jungle fighting on Bougainville and was later shot in the arm by Japanese machine gun fire while attacking Half Moon hill
on the island of Okinawa. Mr. Stautzenberger was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on Okinawa during the attack on Mt.Yaetake, where under continuous mortar and machine gun fire, Mr.Stautzenberger, on numerous occasions, voluntarily charged and wiped out
hostile Japanese machine gun cave emplacements and even after his ammunition was exhausted, he continued with the attack by spotting enemy positions and directing fire toward them. After Japan's surrender, Mr. Stautzenberger
participated in Task Force 31 and at 5:50 a.m. on August 30, 1945, Mr.Stautzenberger and the men of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines became the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil, becoming the first foreign invaders ever to touch the Japanese mainland. Mr.Stautzenberger's outfit was assigned the tasks of seizing the main fort and armory at the center of Futtsu Saki and of demolishing all powerful fortifications.
After the War, Mr. Stautzenberger enrolled in Texas A&M University, where he was an All Southwest Conference guard for the Aggies, playing on the 1946,1947 and 1948 football teams. Mr. Stautzenberger was awarded the Aggies
most valuable player trophy for the 1946 season and was named Captain of the 1948 football team. Mr. Stautzenberger played in the 1949 East-West Shrine
Classic at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, where he was a guard for the West Squad. Mr. Stautzenberger also played guard for the 1949 College All Star team which played the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier's Field
in Chicago. Mr. Stautzenberger was a 1949 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was selected as Who's Who at Texas A&M for the 1948 – 49 school year.
After graduation, Mr. Stautzenberger played professional football for the 1949 Buffalo Bills in the AAFC.
After Mr. Stautzenberger ended his football career, he was hired by the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company, where he was employed for 40 years. Mr. Stautzenberger began his P&G career in 1950 in San Antonio, transferring to Dallas in 1952 and finally moving to Shreveport,Louisiana in 1953.
Mr. Stautzenberger was a member of the Texas A&M 12th Man foundation, the Texas A&M Letterman's Association, the United States Marine Raider Association, the United States Sixth Marine Division Association, the NFL Alumni Association and was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church since 1953,where he was very active with his Sunday School class.
Mr. Stautzenberger served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in which he was a member of the famed Carlson's Second Marine Raider Battalion. After the four Raider Battalions were merged together in 1944,
Mr. Stautzenberger served as an Automatic Rifleman in the Second Battalion,Fourth Marine Regiment, Sixth Marine Division. Mr. Stautzenberger was wounded in action twice during the war, in which he received leg wounds from
Japanese mortar fire in bitter Jungle fighting on Bougainville and was later shot in the arm by Japanese machine gun fire while attacking Half Moon hill
on the island of Okinawa. Mr. Stautzenberger was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on Okinawa during the attack on Mt.Yaetake, where under continuous mortar and machine gun fire, Mr.Stautzenberger, on numerous occasions, voluntarily charged and wiped out
hostile Japanese machine gun cave emplacements and even after his ammunition was exhausted, he continued with the attack by spotting enemy positions and directing fire toward them. After Japan's surrender, Mr. Stautzenberger
participated in Task Force 31 and at 5:50 a.m. on August 30, 1945, Mr.Stautzenberger and the men of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines became the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil, becoming the first foreign invaders ever to touch the Japanese mainland. Mr.Stautzenberger's outfit was assigned the tasks of seizing the main fort and armory at the center of Futtsu Saki and of demolishing all powerful fortifications.
After the War, Mr. Stautzenberger enrolled in Texas A&M University, where he was an All Southwest Conference guard for the Aggies, playing on the 1946,1947 and 1948 football teams. Mr. Stautzenberger was awarded the Aggies
most valuable player trophy for the 1946 season and was named Captain of the 1948 football team. Mr. Stautzenberger played in the 1949 East-West Shrine
Classic at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, where he was a guard for the West Squad. Mr. Stautzenberger also played guard for the 1949 College All Star team which played the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier's Field
in Chicago. Mr. Stautzenberger was a 1949 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was selected as Who's Who at Texas A&M for the 1948 – 49 school year.
After graduation, Mr. Stautzenberger played professional football for the 1949 Buffalo Bills in the AAFC.
After Mr. Stautzenberger ended his football career, he was hired by the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company, where he was employed for 40 years. Mr. Stautzenberger began his P&G career in 1950 in San Antonio, transferring to Dallas in 1952 and finally moving to Shreveport,Louisiana in 1953.
Mr. Stautzenberger was a member of the Texas A&M 12th Man foundation, the Texas A&M Letterman's Association, the United States Marine Raider Association, the United States Sixth Marine Division Association, the NFL Alumni Association and was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church since 1953,where he was very active with his Sunday School class.
Weldon Odell Stautzenberger was the son of Oscar A. Stautzenberger and Myrtle Greebon. At the time of his death he was married to Vera Stautzenberger. He was married twice and had five children from his first marriage. Odell received his schooling in the public schools of Bexar County and spent summers and holidays working on his grandparents farm in Seguin, Texas. Mr.Stautzenberger graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1942. While at Thomas Jefferson High School, Mr.Stautzenberger was an All-City and All-District football player and broke several records on the track team in the shotput and discus events. Mr. Stautzenberger's academic and sports career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.
Mr. Stautzenberger served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in which he was a member of the famed Carlson's Second Marine Raider Battalion. After the four Raider Battalions were merged together in 1944,
Mr. Stautzenberger served as an Automatic Rifleman in the Second Battalion,Fourth Marine Regiment, Sixth Marine Division. Mr. Stautzenberger was wounded in action twice during the war, in which he received leg wounds from
Japanese mortar fire in bitter Jungle fighting on Bougainville and was later shot in the arm by Japanese machine gun fire while attacking Half Moon hill
on the island of Okinawa. Mr. Stautzenberger was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on Okinawa during the attack on Mt.Yaetake, where under continuous mortar and machine gun fire, Mr.Stautzenberger, on numerous occasions, voluntarily charged and wiped out
hostile Japanese machine gun cave emplacements and even after his ammunition was exhausted, he continued with the attack by spotting enemy positions and directing fire toward them. After Japan's surrender, Mr. Stautzenberger
participated in Task Force 31 and at 5:50 a.m. on August 30, 1945, Mr.Stautzenberger and the men of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines became the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil, becoming the first foreign invaders ever to touch the Japanese mainland. Mr.Stautzenberger's outfit was assigned the tasks of seizing the main fort and armory at the center of Futtsu Saki and of demolishing all powerful fortifications.
After the War, Mr. Stautzenberger enrolled in Texas A&M University, where he was an All Southwest Conference guard for the Aggies, playing on the 1946,1947 and 1948 football teams. Mr. Stautzenberger was awarded the Aggies
most valuable player trophy for the 1946 season and was named Captain of the 1948 football team. Mr. Stautzenberger played in the 1949 East-West Shrine
Classic at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, where he was a guard for the West Squad. Mr. Stautzenberger also played guard for the 1949 College All Star team which played the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier's Field
in Chicago. Mr. Stautzenberger was a 1949 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was selected as Who's Who at Texas A&M for the 1948 – 49 school year.
After graduation, Mr. Stautzenberger played professional football for the 1949 Buffalo Bills in the AAFC.
After Mr. Stautzenberger ended his football career, he was hired by the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company, where he was employed for 40 years. Mr. Stautzenberger began his P&G career in 1950 in San Antonio, transferring to Dallas in 1952 and finally moving to Shreveport,Louisiana in 1953.
Mr. Stautzenberger was a member of the Texas A&M 12th Man foundation, the Texas A&M Letterman's Association, the United States Marine Raider Association, the United States Sixth Marine Division Association, the NFL Alumni Association and was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church since 1953,where he was very active with his Sunday School class.
Mr. Stautzenberger served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, in which he was a member of the famed Carlson's Second Marine Raider Battalion. After the four Raider Battalions were merged together in 1944,
Mr. Stautzenberger served as an Automatic Rifleman in the Second Battalion,Fourth Marine Regiment, Sixth Marine Division. Mr. Stautzenberger was wounded in action twice during the war, in which he received leg wounds from
Japanese mortar fire in bitter Jungle fighting on Bougainville and was later shot in the arm by Japanese machine gun fire while attacking Half Moon hill
on the island of Okinawa. Mr. Stautzenberger was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on Okinawa during the attack on Mt.Yaetake, where under continuous mortar and machine gun fire, Mr.Stautzenberger, on numerous occasions, voluntarily charged and wiped out
hostile Japanese machine gun cave emplacements and even after his ammunition was exhausted, he continued with the attack by spotting enemy positions and directing fire toward them. After Japan's surrender, Mr. Stautzenberger
participated in Task Force 31 and at 5:50 a.m. on August 30, 1945, Mr.Stautzenberger and the men of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines became the first American troops to set foot on Japanese soil, becoming the first foreign invaders ever to touch the Japanese mainland. Mr.Stautzenberger's outfit was assigned the tasks of seizing the main fort and armory at the center of Futtsu Saki and of demolishing all powerful fortifications.
After the War, Mr. Stautzenberger enrolled in Texas A&M University, where he was an All Southwest Conference guard for the Aggies, playing on the 1946,1947 and 1948 football teams. Mr. Stautzenberger was awarded the Aggies
most valuable player trophy for the 1946 season and was named Captain of the 1948 football team. Mr. Stautzenberger played in the 1949 East-West Shrine
Classic at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, where he was a guard for the West Squad. Mr. Stautzenberger also played guard for the 1949 College All Star team which played the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier's Field
in Chicago. Mr. Stautzenberger was a 1949 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was selected as Who's Who at Texas A&M for the 1948 – 49 school year.
After graduation, Mr. Stautzenberger played professional football for the 1949 Buffalo Bills in the AAFC.
After Mr. Stautzenberger ended his football career, he was hired by the Procter & Gamble Distributing Company, where he was employed for 40 years. Mr. Stautzenberger began his P&G career in 1950 in San Antonio, transferring to Dallas in 1952 and finally moving to Shreveport,Louisiana in 1953.
Mr. Stautzenberger was a member of the Texas A&M 12th Man foundation, the Texas A&M Letterman's Association, the United States Marine Raider Association, the United States Sixth Marine Division Association, the NFL Alumni Association and was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church since 1953,where he was very active with his Sunday School class.
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