Harry Richard Gunther

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

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private
MOS: 745 (Rifleman)

After battle the platoon sergeant – I can remember him real good, Elmo Burns – he said, “See that hole over there? Here’s a rope. There’s dead Japs in there, pull ’em out.” I got one Jap by the leg, and Elmo threw up. A number of natives came and volunteered to do the work, and they  threw him in a truck. The island was loaded with flies. We got on the ship, a merchant marine ship, for Maui, Hawaii. And the guys were still going [waving arm back and forth like swatting] although there was no flies.

Campaign Narrative

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 746 (Automatic Rifleman)
Important Events:
Cited for service from June 15 – July 9

We came on an open field. A pile of Japs charged us, and they were all six-foot tall. They were taller than us! And they threw themselves on the ground, there were about 30 or 40 of them, they threw themselves down. And three or four of them had machine guns tied to their back. And they opened up fire. Our Captain said to our squad, “Go up that hill and shoot down out of there, you’ll have a good shot.” Well there was one problem – the Japs were watching us. We started up that hill, and we were almost to the top [and] a man got shot. It hit his canteen, and all the water – he thought he was bleeding like heck from his fanny.  And I was just going to take a step and I stopped. And a bullet went right here. [indicating very close across his throat]

Campaign Narrative

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 746 (Automatic Rifleman)
Important Events: 
July 24, 1944 – wounded in action (lacerations, hands); exact circumstances unknown. Evacuated to USS Fuller; transferred to Saipan for treatment.

Campaign Narrative

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 737 (Rifle NCO)
Important Events:
March 8, 1945 – wounded in action (shrapnel, foot); evacuated by air to US Army General Hospital #204, Guam.

My squad was going uphill and all of a sudden they shot these knee mortars at us. The knee mortars came down and I dove for the ground. I hit the ground and as I’m hitting the ground there comes a mortar and it lands right at my feet. It didn’t go off, it was a dud. 

Now, I’d never had a cramp. As I’m looking at that shell, I’m thinking I should get up and move. I get a cramp, I lift up my left leg and I know I got it eight inches off the ground and bam! A piece of shrapnel right through the sole of my shoe and right into my foot. All of my men came up to me and said, “You got the million dollar wound! You get off the island!” And that’s what I did.

Campaign Narrative

Admitted to US Army General Hospital, Guam, on 9 March 1945. Transferred to Naval Hospital #10 (Aiea Heights) for additional treatment. Discharged from hospital on 12 April 1945; to USNH Astoria, Oregon. On 19 July 1945, transferred to West Coast R&R Center; to US Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, fall of 1945.