- SURNAME
Danford
- FORENAME
Cleo Stanley, Jr.
- UNIT
formerly 1st Marine Parachute Regiment
- RANK
Corporal
- NUMBER
889363
- DATE OF DEATH
7th March 1945
- AGE
23
- GRAVESITE
Memorial Park Cemetery, Hutchinson, Kansas, USA. Plot Acacia A 194 1-A
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 14.09.1921 Hutchinson, Kansas, USA
father Cleo Stanley Danford (1896-1986)
mother Nora Kristine (nee Lindahl) Danford (1899-1992)
graduated Hutchinson High School
employed by Beachcraft
11.02.1942 draft card Kansas
01.10.1943 entered service
KIA Iwo Jima
posthumous Navy Cross
DATE OF DEATH:
07-Mar-1945CITATION:
Navy Cross : The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Corporal Cleo Stanley Danford, Jr. (MCSN: 889363), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with a platoon of Company C, First Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 7 March 1945. Observing three of the enemy setting up a machine gun approximately one hundred yards ahead of his platoon's front lines, Corporal Danford armed himself with hand grenades and, fearlessly crawling forward to within thirty feet of the enemy's position, hurled his deadly missiles with extreme accuracy, killing two of the Japanese gun crew and driving off the third. Then, dashing to the gun amidst a hail of enemy rifle fire, he succeeded in dragging the hostile weapon back to his own lines despite a mortal wound sustained en route, thereby preventing the Japanese from regaining the use of the gun. By his bold initiative, indomitable fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty, Corporal Danford had materially furthered his platoon's operations against the enemy, and his conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/8280FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37154470/cleo-stanley-danford
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