Thomas Ellis Underwood
| NAME: Thomas Ellis Underwood | NICKNAME: Ellis | SERVICE NUMBER: 486672 | |||||
| HOME OF RECORD: Route 1, St. Petersburg, FL | NEXT OF KIN: Parents, George & Cora Underwood | ||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH: 5/12/1922 | SERVICE DATES: 10/22/1942 – 3/4/1945 | DATE OF DEATH: 3/4/1945 | |||||
| CAMPAIGN | UNIT | MOS | RATE | RESULT | |||
| Roi-Namur | B/1/24 | 746 | PFC | ||||
| Saipan | B/1/24 | 653 | PFC | SICK | |||
| Tinian | B/1/24 | 653 | Corporal | ||||
| Iwo Jima | B/1/24 | 737 | Corporal | WIA / KIA | |||
| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS: Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Gold Star | LAST KNOWN RANK: Corporal | ||||||
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal posthumously to Corporal Thomas E. Underwood, United States Marine Corps Reserve, for service as set forth in the following citation:
For heroic service as Squad Leader while serving with Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-Fourth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, during operations against Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, on 4 March 1945. When his unit was held up by vicious fire from an entrenched enemy strong point, Corporal Underwood deployed his men for an assault, dauntlessly picking up a Browning Automatic Rifle when his carbine was shot from his hands. Fatally wounded as he valiantly led a spirited attack against the fiercely defended hostile emplacement, Corporal Underwood, by his aggressive courage and inspiring leadership, contributed materially to the destruction of the enemy position, thus enabling his platoon to advance. His unwavering devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
The Weary Warrior
How "T. E. Underwood" went from youthful fisherman
to a famous face of World War II.
to a famous face of World War II.
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