Dawson James Brewer

Boot camp at Parris Island with Fifth Recruit Battalion. Outposted to depot HQ as mess orderly.

Promoted to Assistant Cook, “CC” Mess, Parris Island, late 1942. To Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, Pensacola spring of 1943. To HQ Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina summer 1944; then to HQ Company, East Coast Echelon, Fourth Marine Division on 20 July 1943.

Transferred to Headquarters Company, HQ Battalion, Fourth Marine Division late summer 1943, as cook for battalion mess.

To C/1/24th Marines on March 28, 1944.

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 504 (Ammunition Carrier)
Important Events:
July 8, 1944 – wounded in action (cause unknown); evacuated to field hospital.

Awarded Bronze Star Medal for service in the Saipan campaign:

As a member of a 60-mm mortar squad serving with a battalion of a Marine division in action against Japanese forces during the assault on Saipan and Tinian Islands from 15Jun- 24Jul44. When his entire company was pinned down by heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire on one occasion, Pfc. Brewer braved the barrage of hostile fire to dash to the top of a hill and obtain additional mortar ammunition for his squad, thereby enabling his group to engage and destroy enemy mortars that were taking a heavy toll on his company.

Returned to duty before Tinian landing.

Campaign Narrative

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 504 (Ammunition Carrier)
Important Events:
July 24, 1944 – killed in action (gunshot, left chest) while disembarking from landing craft at White Beach One, Tinian

Campaign Narrative