Felix Stanley Nawodczynski

"Phil"

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 440335

Born

August 7, 1920
in Chelsea, MA

Parents*

Adam A. Nawotczenski
Helen (Maszynowska) Nawotczenski

School

Dickinson High School

Pre-War Employment

Diamond Alkali Company

* The correct spelling of the family surname is "Nawotczenski." The "Nawodczynski" version appears on military records.

Entered Service

August 24, 1942
at New York, NY

Joined First Battalion

October 19, 1942
from 6th Separate Recruit Bn.

Left First Battalion

June 16, 1944
Killed in action at Saipan

Left Service

June 16, 1944
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

221 Erie Street, Jersey City, NJ – home of parents, Adam & Helen Nawotczenski

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Enlisted at New York, NY on 24 August 1942; boot camp at Parris Island with Sixth Separate Recruit Battalion. Outposted directly to Baker Company, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) on 19 October 1942.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: enter here
Rank: enter here
MOS: Code (Type)
Important Events:
in chronological order
Joined
Transferred
Wounded/sick/killed
Promoted
Decorated
Buried

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines – MG platoon
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 653 (Squad leader)
Important Events:
June 16, 1944 – killed in action (gunshot wound, head OR hand grenade) while defending foxhole from mass infiltration attack.
June 22, 1944 – buried in Plot 3, Row 3, Grave 486, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Saipan (June 16, 1944)

Citation
—

We were in the middle of terrible hand-to-hand, close-up fight.... It was a wild few minutes before a flare exploded and we could see who was who. I remember catching a glimpse of Phil Nowengsky, [sic] a big, 200+ pound friend just to my left. A small teenage looking kid had come up behind and jumped astride his back with his arms locked around Phil's neck. Phil was trying to reach over his shoulder to grab the kid but a grenade exploded between them. The kid had the grenade under his shirt.... It blew Phil almost in half.