Marine Corps PVT Jack R Stambaugh, 20, killed in World War II, will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest - in American soil - with full military honors. (259297940)
Born June 27, 1923, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jack was the adopted son of James Madison and Stella (nee Hankins) Stambaugh.
On December 9, 1941, the 71", 186 lbs, blue-eyed brunette walked into a Dallas-area Marine Corps recruiting station and enlisted.
Private Stambaugh was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 6th Marines (B-1/6) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
During a nighttime counter-attack by the Japanese, Jack came to the aid of a wounded Marine being attacked by four enemy soldiers in an isolated position. In a close-range encounter, he killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before being killed by a Japanese officer armed with a sword.
It was November 22, 1943 (D+2 for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Jack - just 20 years old - perished. He was reported to have been buried in Row D of the East Division Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 33 on Betio Island - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his valor and sacrifice, his family received his Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
Navy Cross Citation | AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Marine Corps | Rank: Private | Battalion: 1st Battalion | Division: 2d Marine Division
GENERAL ORDERS: Commander In Chief Pacific Forces: Serial 917 (June 19, 1946)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Private Jack R. Stambaugh (MCSN: 330350), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, on 22 November 1943. Observing four Japanese soldiers attacking a wounded Marine in an isolated position during the height of a fierce enemy night counterattack, Private Stambaugh unhesitatingly risked his life to race to the aid of his helpless comrade and, closing in for a brief, savage encounter, killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before succumbing to a neck wound inflicted by a saber-wielding Japanese officer. By his intrepid spirit, courageous action in the face of heavy odds and unselfish devotion to duty, Private Stambaugh served as an inspiration to his fellow Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Stambaugh's remains were not recovered. On Octboer 18, 1949, a military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
His family had a memorial marker placed at Elmwood Cemetery, in Bowie, Texas, in hopes that one day Jack would be found and returned home (53861713).
On April 6, 2019, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found the family of PVT Stambaugh and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts.
On April 9, 2020, the DPAA identified PVT Stambaugh, and his family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the good news.
Jack will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors (259297940).
Marine Corps Private Jack Rudolph Stambaugh is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PVT Stambaugh's name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that Jack has finally been found.
SOURCE
DPAA Personnel Profile
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 20-031 (April 15, 2020)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
---
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (USMC POW/MIA Section) and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. "It takes a village!"
Born June 27, 1923, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jack was the adopted son of James Madison and Stella (nee Hankins) Stambaugh.
On December 9, 1941, the 71", 186 lbs, blue-eyed brunette walked into a Dallas-area Marine Corps recruiting station and enlisted.
Private Stambaugh was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 6th Marines (B-1/6) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
During a nighttime counter-attack by the Japanese, Jack came to the aid of a wounded Marine being attacked by four enemy soldiers in an isolated position. In a close-range encounter, he killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before being killed by a Japanese officer armed with a sword.
It was November 22, 1943 (D+2 for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Jack - just 20 years old - perished. He was reported to have been buried in Row D of the East Division Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 33 on Betio Island - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his valor and sacrifice, his family received his Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
Navy Cross Citation | AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Marine Corps | Rank: Private | Battalion: 1st Battalion | Division: 2d Marine Division
GENERAL ORDERS: Commander In Chief Pacific Forces: Serial 917 (June 19, 1946)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Private Jack R. Stambaugh (MCSN: 330350), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, on 22 November 1943. Observing four Japanese soldiers attacking a wounded Marine in an isolated position during the height of a fierce enemy night counterattack, Private Stambaugh unhesitatingly risked his life to race to the aid of his helpless comrade and, closing in for a brief, savage encounter, killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before succumbing to a neck wound inflicted by a saber-wielding Japanese officer. By his intrepid spirit, courageous action in the face of heavy odds and unselfish devotion to duty, Private Stambaugh served as an inspiration to his fellow Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Stambaugh's remains were not recovered. On Octboer 18, 1949, a military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
His family had a memorial marker placed at Elmwood Cemetery, in Bowie, Texas, in hopes that one day Jack would be found and returned home (53861713).
On April 6, 2019, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found the family of PVT Stambaugh and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts.
On April 9, 2020, the DPAA identified PVT Stambaugh, and his family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the good news.
Jack will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors (259297940).
Marine Corps Private Jack Rudolph Stambaugh is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PVT Stambaugh's name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that Jack has finally been found.
SOURCE
DPAA Personnel Profile
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 20-031 (April 15, 2020)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
---
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (USMC POW/MIA Section) and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. "It takes a village!"
Marine Corps PVT Jack R Stambaugh, 20, killed in World War II, will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest - in American soil - with full military honors. (259297940)
Born June 27, 1923, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jack was the adopted son of James Madison and Stella (nee Hankins) Stambaugh.
On December 9, 1941, the 71", 186 lbs, blue-eyed brunette walked into a Dallas-area Marine Corps recruiting station and enlisted.
Private Stambaugh was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 6th Marines (B-1/6) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
During a nighttime counter-attack by the Japanese, Jack came to the aid of a wounded Marine being attacked by four enemy soldiers in an isolated position. In a close-range encounter, he killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before being killed by a Japanese officer armed with a sword.
It was November 22, 1943 (D+2 for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Jack - just 20 years old - perished. He was reported to have been buried in Row D of the East Division Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 33 on Betio Island - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his valor and sacrifice, his family received his Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
Navy Cross Citation | AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Marine Corps | Rank: Private | Battalion: 1st Battalion | Division: 2d Marine Division
GENERAL ORDERS: Commander In Chief Pacific Forces: Serial 917 (June 19, 1946)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Private Jack R. Stambaugh (MCSN: 330350), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, on 22 November 1943. Observing four Japanese soldiers attacking a wounded Marine in an isolated position during the height of a fierce enemy night counterattack, Private Stambaugh unhesitatingly risked his life to race to the aid of his helpless comrade and, closing in for a brief, savage encounter, killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before succumbing to a neck wound inflicted by a saber-wielding Japanese officer. By his intrepid spirit, courageous action in the face of heavy odds and unselfish devotion to duty, Private Stambaugh served as an inspiration to his fellow Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Stambaugh's remains were not recovered. On Octboer 18, 1949, a military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
His family had a memorial marker placed at Elmwood Cemetery, in Bowie, Texas, in hopes that one day Jack would be found and returned home (53861713).
On April 6, 2019, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found the family of PVT Stambaugh and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts.
On April 9, 2020, the DPAA identified PVT Stambaugh, and his family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the good news.
Jack will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors (259297940).
Marine Corps Private Jack Rudolph Stambaugh is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PVT Stambaugh's name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that Jack has finally been found.
SOURCE
DPAA Personnel Profile
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 20-031 (April 15, 2020)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
---
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (USMC POW/MIA Section) and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. "It takes a village!"
Born June 27, 1923, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jack was the adopted son of James Madison and Stella (nee Hankins) Stambaugh.
On December 9, 1941, the 71", 186 lbs, blue-eyed brunette walked into a Dallas-area Marine Corps recruiting station and enlisted.
Private Stambaugh was with his brothers in Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 6th Marines (B-1/6) when they landed on Betio as part of Operation: GALVANIC. The mission of the 2nd Marine Division was to secure the island in order to control the Japanese airstrip in the Tarawa Atoll; thereby preventing the Japanese Imperial forces from getting closer to the United States, and enabling US forces to get closer to mainland Japan. It would become one of the bloodiest battles in the Corps history.
During a nighttime counter-attack by the Japanese, Jack came to the aid of a wounded Marine being attacked by four enemy soldiers in an isolated position. In a close-range encounter, he killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before being killed by a Japanese officer armed with a sword.
It was November 22, 1943 (D+2 for the "Battle of Tarawa"), when young Jack - just 20 years old - perished. He was reported to have been buried in Row D of the East Division Cemetery, later renamed Cemetery 33 on Betio Island - a temporary location chosen by his fellow Marines, the survivors of the battle, until the Fallen could be recovered and returned to their families.
Having a loved one away from home during the holidays is always trying; however, having a son off fighting in the war left the whole family on edge. The fact that this battle took place just before Thanksgiving meant that most of the families, who had unknowingly earned their Gold Star, would receive their heart-wrenching telegrams on Christmas Eve – some Christmas Day or even New Years Day.
For his valor and sacrifice, his family received his Navy Cross, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation.
Navy Cross Citation | AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Marine Corps | Rank: Private | Battalion: 1st Battalion | Division: 2d Marine Division
GENERAL ORDERS: Commander In Chief Pacific Forces: Serial 917 (June 19, 1946)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Private Jack R. Stambaugh (MCSN: 330350), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Sixth Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, on 22 November 1943. Observing four Japanese soldiers attacking a wounded Marine in an isolated position during the height of a fierce enemy night counterattack, Private Stambaugh unhesitatingly risked his life to race to the aid of his helpless comrade and, closing in for a brief, savage encounter, killed all four of the enemy with his rifle and bayonet before succumbing to a neck wound inflicted by a saber-wielding Japanese officer. By his intrepid spirit, courageous action in the face of heavy odds and unselfish devotion to duty, Private Stambaugh served as an inspiration to his fellow Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Despite the heavy casualties suffered by U.S. forces, military success in the battle of Tarawa was a huge victory for the U.S. military because the Gilbert Islands provided the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet a platform from which to launch assaults on the Marshall and Caroline Islands to advance their Central Pacific Campaign against Japan.
In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died in the battle were buried in a number of battlefield cemeteries on the island. In 1946 and 1947, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company conducted remains recovery operations on Betio, but PVT Stambaugh's remains were not recovered. On Octboer 18, 1949, a military review board declared Jack "non-recoverable".
His family had a memorial marker placed at Elmwood Cemetery, in Bowie, Texas, in hopes that one day Jack would be found and returned home (53861713).
On April 6, 2019, Jennifer Morrison, an independent volunteer forensic genealogist, found the family of PVT Stambaugh and put them in contact with the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section. This (re)established lines of communication with Jack's family regarding the ongoing recovery and repatriation efforts.
On April 9, 2020, the DPAA identified PVT Stambaugh, and his family received "The Call" from the Marine Corps POW/MIA Section with the good news.
Jack will finally be returned to his family and, on November 8, 2023, laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors (259297940).
Marine Corps Private Jack Rudolph Stambaugh is memorialized among the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific's Honolulu Memorial. Although he has now been recovered and identified, PVT Stambaugh's name shall remain permanently inscribed within Court 4 of the "Courts of the Missing". A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate that Jack has finally been found.
SOURCE
DPAA Personnel Profile
Marine Corps POW/MIA Section
DPAA Release No: 20-031 (April 15, 2020)
American Battle Monuments Commission
Jennifer Morrison, independent volunteer forensic genealogist
---
Note from the memorial maintainer:
I am grateful to Chuck Williams & Hattie Johnson (USMC POW/MIA Section) and the DPAA for their efforts in bringing my Marine home. "It takes a village!"
Inscription
STAMBAUGH JACK R
PRIVATE • USMC • TEXAS
Gravesite Details
Jack's rosette signifies that he has finally been found.
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