- SURNAME
Burak
- FORENAME
Walter John
- UNIT
1 Raider Bn (HQ Company)
- RANK
Corporal
- NUMBER
302155
- DATE OF DEATH
8th October 1942
- AGE
22
- GRAVESITE
National Memorial Cemetery,Honolulu,Hawaii Plot C Row 0 Grave 558
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born 25.10.1919
from Pennsylvania
Next of kin - Father, Mr. Anthony Burak, Route 4, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
awards Navy Cross,Commendation Ribbon
KIA Pacific Theatre of Operations
DATE OF DEATH:
08-Oct-1942AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/burak-walter-john.29709/CITATION:
Navy Cross : The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Corporal Walter John Burak (MCSN: 302155), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty while serving with Headquarters, FIRST Marine Raider Battalion, during the enemy Japanese attack on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on the night of 13 and 14 September 1942. Assigned as a messenger to the Battalion Commander, Corporal Burak, defying the extreme danger of continual hostile fire, carried messages to subordinate unit commanders along the front. With the telephone line running between points of vital strategic importance severed by enemy mortars, he skillfully repaired the break and then, with the assistance of a comrade, laid a parallel line from the Battalion switchboard to the forward observation post. As the battle grew more furious and the enemy began to envelop the left flank of our position, endangering communication lines, Corporal Burak, alone and unassisted, procured a reel of telephone wire and passing through enemy mortar, machine gun, and rifle fire, personally laid a direct wire from the forward observation post to the division command post. His gallant intrepidity and fearless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Untied States Naval Service.
General Orders: SPOT AWARD, Commander, South Pacific: Serial 298 (January 22, 1943)
Action Date: September 13 - 14, 1942
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Corporal
Company: Headquarters
Battalion: 1st Marine Raider Battalion
General Orders: SPOT AWARD, Commander, South Pacific: Serial 298 (January 22, 1943)
Action Date: September 13 - 14, 1942
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Corporal
Company: Headquarters
Battalion: 1st Marine Raider Battalion
FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56116728/walter-john-burak
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