Alfred Roland Oksendahl

"Rollie"

Marine Corps Regular | Service Number 301384

Born

May 13, 1916
in Rugby, ND

Parents

Thomas Herlaugson Oksendahl (d. 1931)
Kirsten Scherven Oksendahl

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

The National Hotel
in Kalispell, MT

Entered Service

October 31, 1940
at Denver, CO

Joined First Battalion

August 27, 1943
from Camp Elliott

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

793 California Terrace, Chicago, IL – address of mother, Mrs. Kirsten Oksendahl

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with Second Recruit Battalion. Outposted to Machine Gun Group, Sixth Defense Battalion, at Pearl Harbor. Outfit transferred to Midway Island in September 1941. While assigned, participated in defensive actions in December 1941, and the Battle of Midway in May 1942. Transferred to Special Weapons Group in winter 1942; promoted to Sergeant while on Midway.

On 24 April 1943, transferred to Training Center, Camp Elliott, California, for duty as an instructor.

Transferred to Dog Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, on 27 August 1943.

Roi-Namur – not present

On rolls of D/1/24th Marines as a Sergeant, MOS 651 (Section Leader).

Reported Absent Without Leave on 19 December 1943; returned to duty on 16 January 1944, missing sailing date. Attached to battalion rear echelon as prisoner at large for transit from Camp Pendleton to Camp Maui.

Transferred to HQ Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines on 1 March 1944. Convicted of AWOL offense and reduced in rank to corporal.

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 521 (Basic)

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 521 (Basic)

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Sergeant
MOS: 521 (Basic)
Important Events:
March 7, 1945 – killed in action (direct hit from mortar shell in foxhole)
March 10, 1945 – buried in Plot 1, Row 27, Grave 1326, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Iwo Jima (March 7, 1945)

Citation

I remember Sergeant Oksendahl. He survived the Midway invasion. He was one of the Marines on that island. The Japs hit them with all that naval gunfire and aerial bombing, everything like that. That’s a lot of damn incoming, you know? We were in the same hole, and he said, “Mike, I don’t know if I can make this.” He said, “You know, I’ve been on Midway, and there’s no comparison; this is a lot worse.” Just imagine that. I knew what Midway was by reading about it, and that’s first-hand experience! I thought, “Wow!” And he says, “I’m getting out of this.” We were lying down in a foxhole. He dug himself one of those holes straight down, and he got himself kind of in a sit-down position where he could stand to fire his rifle, you know? And that was his hole. I thought to myself, "That’s a lot of work. If I’m going to get it, I’m going to get it." He wants to protect himself. And that very same day, when he finished that hole – right on top of his head, right in that hole, whammy.

I couldn’t… what was left of him I could pick up with a shovel. All I could find… well, a lot of flesh and everything, and his dog tags. I didn’t want to have no one reported as MIA because I’d seen that. So I kept his dog tags. I said "Well, there you go."