William Pinkney Linkins, Jr.
"Bill"
Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 405240
October 25, 1922
in Washington, DC
William Pinkney Linkins, Sr.
Marie (Streeks) Linkins
Montgomery Blair High School (1941)
Charles G. Scott & Company
July 4, 1942
at Washington, DC
November 20, 1942
from HQ Co., Parris Island
July 25, 1944
Killed in action
July 25, 1944
Killed in action
610 Greenbrier Drive, Silver Spring, MD – home of wife, Mrs. Mildred Lucille (Stewart) Linkins
Service & Campaigns
Boot camp at Parris Island with Second Recruit Battalion. Appointed Drill Instructor following graduation.
To New River, NC with Seventh Separate Recruit Battalion (as instructor) on 5 October 1942. Transferred to Company A, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) on 20 November 1942.
Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 653 (Squad Leader)
Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 653 (Squad Leader)
Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: Sergeant
MOS: 653 (Squad Leader)
Important Events:
July 25, 1944 – killed in action (gunshot or fragment wound, head), either during or immediately after a major Japanese counterattack.
Awarded Silver Star and Bronze Star for “heroism and gallantry in action that cost his life while accounting for 26 dead Japanese.”
Silver: For valiantly manning a machine gun after all its crew had been wounded, holding off the enemy until casualties could be evacuated.
Bronze: For continuing, though mortally wounded, to pour fire into the enemy, saving many of his comrades’ lives.
Individual Decorations
Medal
Silver Star
Bronze Star
Purple Heart
Campaign
Tinian (July 25, 1944)
Tinian (July 25, 1944)
Tinian (July 25, 1944)
Citation
Partial – see above
Partial – see above
—
Note: It is unusual to see two separate decorations awarded for actions on a single day – often, they would be combined into a single citation. However, the partial citations available suggest this is the case for Linkins.
Service Stories
On the battle for Namur:
For a gung-ho eighteen-year-old, it was terrifying. I was scared to death all the time. It’s a wonder I could fire or use the bayonet properly! In fact, I didn’t – because the first time I hit this one Jap, I could see he was feigning being dead. I could see his body move with his breathing. That’s when I dove on him with the bayonet. And then I cracked up a little bit, and my big, six-foot-three squad leader came over and said, “C’mon, Price, we got a lot more to kill Don’t stay with this poor guy!”
Robert Denby Price
