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John Lamar Meeks

"Pappy"
Marine Corps Regular | Service Number 231838
Born

July 18, 1912
in Monroe, GA

Parents

John Thomas Meeks
Martha Ella (McDonald) Meeks

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

Professional Marine

Entered Service

May 19, 1931
at Parris Island, SC

Joined First Battalion

December 2, 1942
from MCAS Quantico, VA

Left First Battalion

July 10, 1944
Wounded and evacuated from Saipan

Left Service

May 25, 1945
Discharged for disability

Home Address and Next of Kin

Route 4, Madison, Georgia – home of father, John T. Meeks

Service & Campaigns
Before joining battalion

Coming soon.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Sergeant
MOS: 566 (Duty NCO)
Important Events:
Meeks appears in the article “The Ear-Banger on Namur” by Master Sergeant Frank X. Tolbert of Leatherneck Magazine.

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: Sergeant (Acting platoon sergeant, 2 Platoon)
MOS: 651 (Platoon Sergeant)
Important Events:
July 10, 1944 – wounded in action (shrapnel fragments, neck); evacuated to USS Relief.

Campaign Narrative

After leaving battalion

Sent for treatment at US Naval Hospital Aeia Heights, Honolulu; US Naval Hospital, Oakland; US Naval Hospital San Leandro.

Cleared for limited duty and assigned to Guard Company, US Naval Mine Depot, Yorktown, VA in January 1945. By April 1945, sick and hospitalized at US Naval Hospital Fort Eustis, VA.

Discharged by medical survey on 25 May 1945.

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Saipan

Citation
For wounds received in action on July 10, 1944

Service Stories

USNH, OAKLAND — Japanese civilians, including women with children strapped to their backs. deliberately walked off cliffs or waded out into the swirling water off Marpi Point on Saipan rather than surrender to Marines even though they had been assured they wouldn’t be harmed if they behaved themselves.


”I’ll never forget that sight,” said Sgt. John L Meeks of Madison, Ga., in telling about the mass suicides. Sgt. Meeks was wounded in the shoulder by a Jap sniper a few hours after organized Jap resistance ended. “Our interpreters made it plain to the Jap civilians and soldiers that they wouldn’t be harmed if they surrendered, but they wouldn’t believe us,” the sergeant said. “Jap soldiers were mixed in with the civilians, and as they were not firing on us at the time, we held our fire and pleaded with them to give up as we didn’t care about firing on a group where there were so many women and children.

“Some 50 or more civilians and soldiers suddenly split into two groups near a cliff about 10 or 15 feet high at the water’s edge. Suddenly, there was an explosion in the midst of the group, and those who didn’t fall made a beeline for the cliff and jumped off into the water. A hand grenade had plainly been exploded by some Jap. Those in the other group watched from a distance. Then they started toward the cliff. Some jumped off; others kept walking until they got to the beach. 


“We were particularly interested in the actions of three women. They talked for a few moments, and then, after clasping hands, they deliberately walked into the surf. They seemed to change their minds after the waves caught them, but they acted a bit too late, as the last we saw of them, they were being swept out to sea. We also saw some women with children strapped to their backs wade into the water and drown themselves.”

The Marine Corps Chevron, 9 September 1944

The Navy coxswain drove the ramp boat up within 30 yards of the beach just to the left of the pier. The fire from the [Japanese] grew heavier. "All right, Marines, out you go," said the coxswain, "and good luck."

Boat leader was Sergeant "Pappy" Meeks, a Marine with some 16 years service. As the ramp boat let them out, Pappy Meeks bellowed: "OK, you liberty hounds! Let's go ashore."
John died on December 2, 1984, and is buried in Martins Chapel United Methodist Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Gallery
Even with his many years of service, Meeks still had to register with his local draft board after discharge from the Marines.

4 thoughts on “John L. Meeks”

  1. Michael Gabriel Meeks

    That’s my granddad. He walked me to the bus stop for school and be there every afternoon after school. I used to put my head under his big arms and chest to keep my ears warm.

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