Willie Earnest Cordon
Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 347638
September 3, 1920
in Houston, TX
Willie Knodel Cordon
Jonnie Mae (Ernest) Cordon
Jefferson Davis High School
Riggs Optical Company
January 15, 1942
at Houston, TX
September 18, 1944
from Replacement Battalion, FMF Pacific
March 17, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima
March 17, 1945
Killed in action
3945 6th Street, Port Arthur, TX – address of mother, Mrs. Johnnie Cordon
Service & Campaigns
Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with 11th Recruit Battalion. Outposted to Dog Company, First Battalion, 2nd Marines at Camp Elliott; deployed overseas summer 1942. Participated in the Guadalcanal campaign with D/1/2nd Marines from August 1942 to January 1943. Promoted to Private First Class in New Zealand on 1 April 1943.
Admitted to hospital with malaria on 2 April 1943; transferred to US Naval Hospital Corona, California, for treatment. AOL from hospital July 1943. Returned to duty and transferred to Marine Barracks, Naval Operating Base Terminal Island. Served guard duty at Terminal Island and Naval Air Station Astoria, Oregon, through summer 1944, at which time reassigned to Fourth Replacement Draft at Camp Elliott, CA. Deployed overseas to Hawaii in fall 1944.
Joined HQ Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines at Camp Elliott on 18 September 1944.
Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (81mm platoon)
Rank: Private First Class
MOS: 607 (Mortarman)
Important Events:
March 17, 1945 – mortally wounded in action (grenade shrapnel, chest and lungs) while holding outpost on overnight combat patrol. Died of wounds before dawn.
Buried Plot 1, Row 26, Grave 1780, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery, same date.
Individual Decorations
Medal
Purple Heart
Campaign
Iwo Jima (March 17, 1945)
Citation
Sometime in the night, one that went over didn't go as far as we thought. Willie began to wheeze and cough. We knew he was hit but couldn't find where in the dark. We tried to ease his pain but could do nothing. As the night wore on he got worse and started talking out of his head to his mother between groans and pleas for help. Toward morning, he died. We discovered a small hole in his chest. Apparently a piece of shrapnel had punctured one of his lungs and done other damage. Our corpsman said he probably drowned.
We withdrew from the pocket and headed back to the beach as ordered. I believe Willie was the only casualty that night.
