Russell Arthur Chambers

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 434620

Born

August 5, 1926
in Cape Charles, VA

Parents

John Grandyson Chambers (d. 1940)
Lillian Christine (Kellam) Chambers

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

Details unknown

Entered Service

September 1, 1942
at Norfolk, VA

Joined First Battalion

November 21, 1942
from TC New River

Left First Battalion

February 20, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima

Left Service

February 20, 1945
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

18 Pine Street, Cape Charles, VA – home of mother, Mrs. Lillian C. Chambers

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at Parris Island with Fourth Recruit Battalion; completed training at TC New River with 9th Separate Recruit Battalion. Outposted to First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) on 21 November 1942.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 604 (Machine gunner)

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 675 (Messenger)

Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 675 (Messenger)

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (Demolitions Platoon)
Rank: PFC
MOS: 604 (machine gunner) – note: the demolitions platoon did not have machine guns. Chambers was assigned to a flamethrower squad under Sergeant Harlan C. Jeffery but his exact role is not known.
Important Events:
February 20, 1945 – killed in action (shrapnel, head) when a patrol encountered Japanese snipers in a narrow draw.

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
Iwo Jima (Feb. 20 1945)

Citation

Service Stories

Please share a story if you knew this Marine.

We was advancing along a draw near the beach when a Jap sniper opened up on us. Everyone scattered, but my squad got pinned down as it was the leading squad. One of my boys got hit so I stuck my head up and cryed [sic] for a corpsman, I no sooner raised my head and I felt something knock me backwards, I knew I was hit in the head, I got so excited I started hollering – get a corpsman, get a corpsman, in about to [sic] minutes there was a corpsman patching up my head, he said I would be alright for the bullet only cut the skin, I told the corpsman to look at my buddy behind me but he said it was to late he was dead.

Well as soon as I got my senses back I knew I had to get myself and men out of that position for it was to damn hot to stay there, I passed the word back to the next man that we was going to move out, he hollered back that he couldn’t move he was hit. So I jumped up and ran forward to get a corpsman but by the time he got to him he was dead. After all that hell and pain. I finally led my squad forward behind a ridge out of range of the Jap sniper. We had to pass through an enemy minefield. That was many an hour we prayed to God.