Bernard Carol Elissagaray

"Bernie"

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 522899

Born

September 28, 1926
in Stockton, CA

Parents

Ben Elissagaray
Mary Lucille (Amestoy) Elissagary

School

Tracy High School

Pre-War Employment

High school student

Entered Service

September 29, 1943
at San Francisco, CA

Joined First Battalion

April 10, 1944
from Transient Center, VAC

Left First Battalion

July 24, 1944
Wounded in action at Tinian

Left Service

November 5, 1945
Discharged

Home Address and Next of Kin

Rural Route 2, Tracy, CA – home of parents, Ben & Mary Elissagaray

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with Seventh Recruit Battalion. Outposted to Infantry Battalion, TC Camp Elliott.

Overseas with replacement battalion March 1944; assigned to A/1/24th Marines on 10 April 1944.

Saipan

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 745 (Rifleman)

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 745 (Rifleman)
Important Events:
July 24, 1944 – wounded in action (gunshot, right leg & testicle) during landing operations; evacuated to USS Heywood.

Campaign Narrative

After leaving battalion

Evacuated to US Fleet Hospital 105, Noumea, New Caledonia. Transferred to US Naval Hospital Oakland, California; hospitalized there and US Naval Hospital Santa Cruz through October 1945.

Honorably discharged on 5 November 1945.

Individual Decorations

Medal
Commendation Ribbon
Purple Heart

Campaign
Saipan
Tinian (July 24, 1944)

Citation

Service Stories

Please share a story if you knew this Marine.

Bernard died on July 30, 1992.
His burial location is unknown.

Gallery

Private Elissagaray's first set of orders, placing him on temporary inactive status after enlisting.

Marine Corps ID, 1943.

Front and back of a briefing document issued to PFC Bernard C. Elissagaray (A/1/24) en route to Saipan. The completed documents were not to be taken ashore for fear of capture by the enemy.

Bernard carried this phonetic Japanese phrase card on Saipan.

“Beach Diagram No. 1” of Saipan showing the planned landing beaches. Black, Orange, Brown, Purple, and White Beaches were secondary landing sites and ultimately were not used. Map saved by PFC Bernard C. Elissagaray (A/1/24). Author’s collection.

Detail of a planner's map showing the Green Beach sector. BLT 1-24 approached Saipan through the boat passage at the very bottom of the diagram. (Elissagaray papers / author's collection)

Detail from "Saipan Beach Diagram No. 5" showing the Laulau / Chacha area, Kagman Peninsula. "Hill" is infamous Hill 600/646. Bernard Elissagaray papers, author's collection.

Bernard's Saipan commendation.

Excerpt from a casualty report, USS Heywood, July 1944.

Bernard's parents recevied this Western Union telegram after he was wounded.

Bernard received this copy of the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the Fourth Marine Division.

Shellback certificate.

The Stockton Evening Record, 18 August 1944.

Bernard was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal on 5 November 1945...

...and had to register with Selective Service. Note the scars from his Tinian wound.

The Tracy Press, 15 February 1946.

Bernard Elissagaray's Wartime Photos

A personal photo collection depicting time spent with Able Company – and a lengthy stay in Naval hospitals.

Souvenirs of Saipan

Bernard's personal collection of battle trophies: letters, photos, postcards, and flags taken in the Marianas.

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