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William Paul Loutzenhiser

"Bill"
Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 461263
Born

May 19, 1922
in Salem, OH

Parents

Joseph Edward Loutzenhiser, Sr.
Mary Ann (Barry) Loutzenhiser

School

Salem High School

Pre-War Employment

E. W. Bliss Company

Entered Service

September 9, 1942
at Cincinnati, OH

Joined First Battalion

November 15, 1942
from 10th Separate Recruit Battalion

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

275 West Pershing Street, Salem, OH – home of mother, Mrs. Mary Loutzenhiser

Service & Campaigns
Before joining battalion

Boot camp at Parris Island with Fourth and Fifth Recruit Battalions; completed training with Ninth Separate Recruit Battalion at New River, NC.

Outposted to Company A, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) on 15 November 1942.

Roi-Namur

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 745 (Rifleman)

Campaign Narrative

Saipan

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 675 (Messenger)
Important Events:
July 8, 1944 – wounded in action (cause not known, slight); evacuated to field hospital on Saipan.
July 16, 1944 – returned to duty.
July 18, 1944 – promoted to corporal

.Campaign Narrative

Tinian

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 675 (Messenger)

Campaign Narrative

Iwo Jima

Outfit: A/1/24th Marines
Rank: Corporal
MOS: 737 (Rifle squad leader)
Important Events:
February 20, 1945 – killed in action (gunshot, back) while leading a patrol into a draw near the Boat Basin.

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart
– with Gold Star

Campaign
Saipan (July 8, 1944)
Iwo Jima (Feb. 20, 1945)

Citation

Service Stories

Please share a story if you knew this Marine.

One of my good buddies was Sergeant [sic] Bill Loutzenhiser. He was [better] educated, but it didn't matter; we hit it off real good. I remember he got a "Dear John" letter while we were on Maui. The food there was terrible, but one Friday we got a steak dinner. Bill was Catholic, he wouldn't eat meat on a Friday, so he gave it to me. "Lynch," he said, "this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do!"

On Iwo he was leading a squad and they were ambushed. All shot in the head. Only one man got out alive, they had to bring up flamethrowing tanks. I had just transferred out of that squad before Iwo. If I hadn't, I'd have been dead up there with him.
William is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii
Gallery

2 thoughts on “William P. Loutzenhiser”

  1. Hi,

    This is my great uncle on my fathers side. Thank you for posting this as I am doing research on his time and my grandfater’s time in the military during WWII. Any additional info or pictures you may have will be great to see! I would love to know more about him!

    Thank you!

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