James Thomas Rainey

"Jim"

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 430153

Born

May 22, 1924
in Marietta, GA

Parents

Clen Leard Rainey
Alice (Garrett) Rainey (d. 1933)
Stepmother, Mary Lou (Coggins) Rainey

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

High school student

Entered Service

August 27, 1942
at Atlanta, GA

Joined First Battalion

October 19, 1942
from 6th Separate Recruit Bn., New River

Left First Battalion

October 19, 1945
to Reclassification Regiment, Camp Lejeune

Left Service

November 2, 1945
Honorably discharged

Home Address and Next of Kin

Rural Route #5, Newnan, GA – address of parents, Clen & Mary Rainey

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Enlisted in Atlanta, GA on 27 August 1942 with the “Cracker Platoon.” Boot camp at Parris Island and New River with the 6th Separate Recruit Battalion.

Outposted directly to Dog Company, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) at New River on 19 October 1942.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: D/1/24th Marines (81mm mortar platoon)
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 607 (Mortarman)

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (81mm mortar platoon)
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 607 (Mortarman)
Important Events:
June 20, 1944 – wounded in action (blast concussion); evacuated to field hospital
June 23, 1944 – returned to duty

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (81mm mortar platoon)
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 607 (Mortarman)

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (81mm mortar platoon)
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 614 (Mortar squad leader)

Campaign Narrative

After leaving battalion

Returned to continental United States with Battalion in October, 1945. On 19 October, transferred to Reclassification & Reassignment Regiment, Camp Lejeune, NC, for processing and discharge.

Honorably discharged on 2 November 1945.

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Saipan (June 20, 1944)

Citation
—

After a shell burst close to Jim's gun he had been found unconscious and was carried off on a stretcher. They had no way of knowing his condition. My heart stopped for a few seconds as I came to realize that I had, until this moment, never faced up to the reality that Jim could be killed at any time, just like me. I. was stunned. After a while, I began to feel a sense of relief. Now maybe I could feel a sense of comfort in knowing he would be out of the war safely.

Two or three days later, we were taking a break on the front line when someone remarked, "Look [who's] coming here." I looked up and here comes Jim walking toward us still in a daze. After the medics declared him walking wounded, naturally he walked off the first time they looked the other way.... I guess I was relieved to see him and at the same time highly upset that he had put himself back in danger when it was not necessary. Whatever the feeling I had, I vented it by yelling at him. He sat calmly and waited for me to finish. When I had finished pouring out my frustration he looked at me very calmly and said, "I was not going home without you, buddy."

I will never be able to describe how I felt at that moment. The rest of the guys just looked on and said nothing. We took a rifle and helmet from a dead Marine and he promised to keep down, but after a while he was back on the gun.