- SURNAME
Kerns
- FORENAME
John Irvin
- UNIT
2 Raider Bn (Company B)
- RANK
Private
- NUMBER
348233
- DATE OF DEATH
16th October 1942
- AGE
23
- GRAVESITE
National Memorial Cemetery,Honolulu,Hawaii Tablets of the Missing
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Louisiana
born 09.08.1919, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, USA
Next of kin - father Professor Frank W. Kerns, Box 104, Copperhill, Tennessee
09.01.1942 entered service
award Navy Cross
18.08.1942 MIA Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands
16.10.1942 executed, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
19.08.1943 declared dead
DATE OF DEATH:
16-Oct-1942AWARD:
https://www.specialforcesroh.com/index.php?threads/kerns-john-i.29748/CITATION:
Navy Cross : The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Private John I. Kerns (MCSN: 348233), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty while serving as a member of a volunteer boat crew in Company B, SECOND Marine Raider Battalion, during the Marine Raider Expedition against the Japanese-held island of Makin in the Gilbert Islands on 17 and 18 August 1942. Fully aware of the hazards of an imminent enemy air attack, and with complete disregard for his own life, Private Kerns, with four others, volunteered to take a boat to a point just outside a reef and shoot a line ashore to assist in evacuating those men remaining on the beach. Caught on the sea, he was defeated in his valiant efforts by the violent strafing of his boat by withering enemy machine-gun fire. His great personal valor and loyal spirit of self-sacrifice were in keeping with the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave up his life in the service of his country.
WEB LINKS:
https://missingmarines.com/john-i-kerns/FINDAGRAVE:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56112911/john-irvin-kerns
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