Skip to content

Richard Leon Roark

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 522985
Born

November 13, 1925
in Berryville, AR

Parents

Oney Burr Roark (d. 1937)
Almeda May (Fanning) Roark

School

Sutter Union High School (1943)

Pre-War Employment

Recent graduate

Entered Service

November 1, 1943
at San Francisco, CA

Joined First Battalion

February 21, 1944
from Fourth Signal Company

Left First Battalion

March 7, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima

Left Service

March 7, 1945
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

General Delivery, Sutter, CA – address of mother, Mrs. Almeda Roark

Service & Campaigns
Before joining battalion

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with Fifth Recruit Battalion; outposted to Fourth Signal Company, Fourth Marine Division on 15 January 1944. Joined Charlie Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines at Camp Maui, Hawaii, on 21 February 1944.

Saipan

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 746 (Automatic Rifleman)
Important Events: 
June 17, 1944 – wounded in action (shrapnel, right arm); evacuated to USS Solace for treatment.

Campaign Narrative

Tinian – not present

Did not participate in Tinian campaign due to wounds. Transported to US Fleet Hospital #108, Guadalcanal, for treatment. Admitted 26 June 1944; discharged to 16th Field Depot on 4 July 1944.  Rejoined Charlie Company, 24th Marines at Camp Maui on 15 August 1944.

Iwo Jima

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 746 (Automatic Rifleman)
Important Events: 
March 7, 1945 – killed in action; cause and circumstances unknown
March 11, 1945 – buried in Plot 1, Row 33, Grave 1626, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart
– with Gold Star

Campaign
Saipan (June 17, 1944)
Iwo Jima (March 7, 1945)

Citation

Richard is buried in Sutter Cemetery, Sutter, California.
Gallery

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome aboard! If you're looking for www.1stbattalion24thmarines.com – you're in the right place.

We're still working to get all the content from the old site to the new server, so if you can't find what you're looking for, it's probably in the queue. Check out the "NEWS" tab for the latest updates.

Thanks,
Geoffrey

X