Betio Cemetery – Tarawa’s Missing In Action

By Donald K. Allen, DVM

Betio Cemetery – Tarawa’s Missing In Action

By Donald K. Allen, DVM

            Semper fidelis.  Always faithful.  The Marine Corps takes care of its own.  It accounts for every Marine on the battlefield, recovering wounded and bringing back those killed in action (KIA).  Today, with global positioning system (GPS) to locate graves and DNA-assisted identification, our military can bring them all home again to their families.  During previous wars, however, that wasn’t always the case.

            The battle for Tarawa is an example where many of the men lost in battle have not been accounted for to this day.  Some were known to have been KIA, their deaths or bodies having been witnessed or identified by two or more people.  Some died of wounds (DOW), and still others were listed as missing in action (MIA).

            Robert Sherrod’s book, Tarawa – the Story of a Battle¹, lists the names and ranks of those killed and wounded during the battle.  There are 722 names of those KIA, 77 more DOW, and 151 are listed as MIA.  Many Marines were killed in the water during the assault on Betio’s north beaches, their bodies drifting out to sea on the tides.  Men aboard boats in following waves saw the floating bodies and assumed they were Japanese until they got closer and saw the camouflage uniforms of the USMC.  Some of these bodies were recovered, and some were lost.

            The “official” USMC report, The Battle for Tarawa², by Capt. James R. Stockman, USMC, was published in 1947.  Not specifying names, as Sherrod did, Stockman lists 837 KIA, 34 “Wounded – killed,” 90 “Died of wounds,” with 27 “Missing, presumed dead,” and 2 “Wounded, missing dead.”  That gives only 29 MIA.

            Most recently, and extremely well-researched, in Utmost Savagery – The Three Days of Tarawa³, by Col. Joseph H. Alexander USMC (Ret.), published in 1995, he lists 88 Marines “Missing and presumed dead.” 

Certainly, during the battle, men were separated from their units, with some wounded ending up on various transports, and a true accounting impossible during movement to Hawaii.  By war’s end, however, a fairly accurate roll should have been compiled. 

            MIA status was also given to those who simply disappeared during the violence of battle, sometimes physically obliterated or buried by exploding shells, no trace ever being found.  There seems to be a discrepancy, though, between Sherrod’s list, the subsequent figures, and records at the Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii.  His list shows 151 men MIA, while a tablet at the Punchbowl honoring those MIA or buried at sea (BAS) from Tarawa shows a total of 438.  (The American Battle Monuments Commission website lists the names of those buried in American military cemeteries around the world, and their status if MIA/BAS.  If the search results in “no records found” (NRF) the body may have been recovered and buried in a private cemetery by the family.  Some NRF results are shown for those originally listed as MIA.)  What is odd is that 351 of the men listed on the tablet as MIA/BAS were listed by Sherrod as KIA.  Just which men were buried at sea, and who are now missing instead of KIA?  The logical answer is that many of those 351 still lie in the sands of Betio.

            Burials at sea are always recorded in the deck log of the ship performing the services.  In 1943 “always” was a slightly flexible term, however, and not all ships’ deck logs were as complete as they should have been.  Most of those logs can be found today at our National Archives in College Park, MD, and I decided to see what I could discover.

            Transport Group 4 of Task Force 53 for Operation Galvanic, the assault on Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, was made up of three groups.  TransDiv 4 was formed by the USS Zeilin APA-3, Heywood APA-6, Arthur Middleton APA-25, William P. Biddle APA-8, Harry Lee APA-10, and Thuban AKA-19.  TransDiv 18 had the ships USS Monrovia APA-31, Sheridan APA-51, La Salle AP-102, Doyen APA-1, Virgo AKA-20, and Ashland LSD-1.  In TransDiv 6 there were the USS Harris APA-2, J. Franklin Bell APA-16, Ormsby APA-49, Feland APA-11, and Bellatrix AKA-3.  Hospital ship USS Solace arrived at Tarawa to take on casualties from the previous ships on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1943.

            Wounded men were generally brought to the transports for medical treatment, since they contained prepared medical facilities for this purpose.  The men weren’t always returned to the ship they debarked from, though, and in most cases needy casualties were brought to the nearest available ship.  It’s possible even some of the fire support ships took aboard casualties during the height of the conflict, since they all carried their own medical facilities and personnel.

            The ships’ logs and war diaries examined account for 100 men BAS.  Why the major discrepancy between Sherrod’s accounting of KIA and MIA, taken from official Navy and USMC casualty reports, and today’s MIA/BAS list at the Punchbowl?  Some explanation can be found in “Final Disposition of World War II Dead 1945-51,”⁴ which tells of the difficulty of recovering remains.  About 50 men of the 604^th QM Graves Registration Company arrived at Betio aboard the USAT Lawrence Phillips on March 4, 1946.  Their first objective was to select a cemetery site for collection of remains from all over the island.  An area on the western end of Betio was acquired and approved by the British administrator, and named “Lone Palm Cemetery.”

            “Because of the large number of fatalities and subsequent hurried burials, most deceased servicemen rested in graves near points where they died.  Consequently, the atoll contained approximately 43 separate burial sites, the majority of which were located on Betio Island.”  The report could not account, however, for single, hasty graves that were dug in the heat of battle and became unmarked during subsequent action.  As their work progressed, the recovery team found that previous grave consolidation done by Navy, Marine, and Seabee garrison forces was confusing.

            “In some cases, the Marines had constructed a monument directly above a body or group of remains.  In other instances, no remains could be located beneath monuments.  Again, some memorial graves bore crosses with names but contained no deceased.  Sometimes, later investigations located these individuals in cemeteries on the opposite side of the island.”  The team worked for two days excavating “Grave 33,” but found no remains.  Father O’Neill had officiated during the burial of Marines in three rows at this site, and he suggested they dig in a different direction.  They found first the middle row, then the other two, but recovered only 129 remains of an alleged 400.  In “Grave 26” they recovered 123 remains, and “Grave 14” gave up 41.  “Grave 27” reportedly held 40 dead, but extensive diggings throughout the area was fruitless.

            Dental records were used when possible to identify remains, and they were reinterred with an identification tag and a copy of the Report of Reinterment in a sealed bottle.  A marker at the head of each grave held a 2- by 4-inch metal tag showing the name, rank, and serial number of the deceased.  There were also unidentified dead.  By the end of May 1946, the mission ended with recovery of 532 remains that were buried in Lone Palm Cemetery for later recovery.  Their report included recommendations for the future, such as, “That identification tags be made of stainless steel, monel metal, or some other noncorrosive metal.  The letters on the tags should be embossed, and not etched.”

            Their report also requested that all web and personal equipment be stenciled with name, rank, and serial number, and that ID tags be worn around the neck.  Finally that, “All service personnel should have some GRS training.  By doing this, it is felt that the conditions found on Tarawa would not recur.”

            Since their search of Betio there have been several accidental findings of American remains on the island.  A complete amtrac was unearthed during the laying of a new water line, and in its hold were the remains of three men.  Two were later identified.  While widening the south perimeter road in September 1999, a tree was unearthed, and among its roots were the bones and identification tag of PhM2C Raymond P. Gilmore, USN.  He had been listed as KIA, but was on the MIA/BAS tablet at Punchbowl.

            So here is what we can deduce from this archive search:  1.  Of the 77 men listed as DOW, 59 are confirmed BAS.  2.  The 151 listed as MIA are still MIA.  3.  Of the 731 listed as KIA, 32 were BAS.  4.  Of the remaining 699 KIA, 336 are listed today as MIA/BAS.  5.  If the 604^th QM GRC team found 532 remains, and they were all eventually recovered, there should be only 167 names on the Punchbowl MIA/BAS plaque.

            In conclusion, it is obvious that there are many Marines and Navy corpsmen lying at rest today in the sands of Betio, perhaps hundreds.  Today the western three-fourths of the island is heavily populated, with many buildings undoubtedly built over gravesites.  If more remains are recoverable in the future, it will probably be by accident.  The Marine and Navy monument that now stands on Betio should have a bronze tablet added to one face, reading, “In Memory of the Hundreds Who Rest Here Today.”  The whole island is, in fact, a cemetery.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Dean Ladd, who was wounded during the assault on Tarawa, and was floating in the lagoon, was rescued by a fellow Marine.  I spotted his name on a casualty list and sent him the information.  He replied, “After 59 1/2 years I can now narrow down the possibilities of who helped pull me into that LCVP when I was wounded on 11/21/43. Clues are: that person was also wounded on 11/21, was probably not in my company but most likely in the adjacent C company, had a head wound and probably was BAS also on 11/21. So it was probably Sgt. James J. Maples, C-I-8. I am checking with Ken Desiello who was also pulled up by this extraordinary “unknown Marine. “

Appendix A

Burial at sea entries from ships’ deck logs and war diaries, Nov. 20 to Dec. 1, 1943.

USS Zeilin APA-3

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943

            “1100 the following named Marines having died of gunshot wounds were buried at sea this date at Lat 01° 24’ North; Long 171° 53’ East

            1^st Lieut. C.N. Dunahoe, Jr. #266531, K. Co. 3^rd Battalion, 2^nd Marines

            M. ROE                        #812320          USMC

            W.D. MC KIBBEN    #311493            USMC

            G.M. CONNER              # 331500            USMC

            J.F. DEMARCHE   # 394 684 USMC

            James O HARA            (*)    # Unknown            USMC”

            “1930 The following named Marines having died of gunshot wounds were buried at sea in Lat 00° 55’ North Long 172° 43’ East

            Alton H. JARRETT            #272411-P       USMC

            T.R. HERBIG                          834818  USMC

            H.B. Browning                         Unknown            USMC

            A.F. JACKSON,                      Unknown            USMC”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943

            “1100 The following named man, having died of gunshot wounds, was buried at sea: L.A. MONROE, Pfc. 801820, USMC.  Lat. 01° 25’ North, Long. 172° 54’ East.”

USS Heywood APA-6

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943

            “1415 Conducted burial services at sea in position 01°-24’-20” N., 172°-55’-20” E. of following casualties of current operations:  Captain Robert Woodman ROSE, USMCR; CHACON, G., 407219, Pfc., USMC; CHODL, F.T., 397852, USMC; LEE, Wilson R., 363259, USMC; CAMPBELL, James P., 390302, USMC; WILSON, J.A., 491228, USMC; RIGGIN, James Malcolm, 481111, USMCR.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943

            “1400 Burial services were held at sea.  Position: 01°-25’-30” N., 172°-55’-30” E., for casualty of current operations:  HIGUERA, R.A., 817396, Pfc., USMCR, F-Co., 2^nd Bat., 8^th Marines.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943

            “0935 Commenced reembarking troops of the LT-2/8, U.S. Marines.  Held burial service at sea, in position 01°-25’-00” N., 172°-55’-00” E., for the following casualty of the current operations:  WHATLEY, R.L., Pvt., 499270, Co., “D”, 1^st Bat., 8^th Marines.”

USS Arthur Middleton APA-25

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “*0811 Lowered ensign to half-mast and buried at sea the following marines killed in action during the occupation of Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands on 20 November, 1943:

            Name                                       Rate                 Unit                  Serial No.  

            MAURIELLO, Ugo            Sgt.                  L-3-2                 266107

            MEADOW, Wayne G.            Cpl.                  M-3-2                321944

            VEECK, W.E.               Sgt.                  G-2-2                269977”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “*0915 Held burial services and buried at sea McPHEE, E.M. (832539) Pvt., U.S.M.C. and VIA, W.D. (476924) Pvt., U.S.M.C.”  Ship was underway at 11 knots, steaming in formation.

USS William P. Biddle APA-8

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1930 burial at sea of following named Marines:  Foreman, John F. 418165, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R.  Marallus, Kenneth W. 458391, Pvt., U.S.M.C.R.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1930 buried Nagayama, Toin, Prisoner of war at sea.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1545 dead Marine transferred to beach, Martinez, L.J. 323462, U.S.M.C. Corp.  Burned up LVT found adrift containing two burned bodies.  Sent to beach upon orders of Marine shore party.  It sunk on the way in.  Two dog tags found in LVT adjacent to the bodies gave the following names:  Green, M. 466 484 H.  Mayer, Milton J. 486 415.”

            Thursday, 25 November, 1943.

            “1900 held burial at sea for W.R. Brown, Corp. U.S.M.C.”  Ship was underway at 14 knots on course 110° T.

USS Harry Lee APA-10

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “The following named men died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and were buried at sea.

            0045 – Unknown            Initial on ring WM                        Received on board dead

            0045 – Marshall, E            Unknown          276118                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            0815 – Bozarth, David B. Jr.   Sgt.            308950                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            1545 – Unknown            Initial on ring EmcB                             Ö           Ö          Ö

            1545 – Mahoney, JW            Unknown          360699                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            1817 – Gilbert, WE            Pfc                   308796              Died on board”

(WM and EmcB could have been listed in the after action reports as MIA, KIA, or DOW.  Among those with the same initials are: Cpl. Wayne G. Meadow, KIA; Cpl. Walter A. Miller, KIA; Pfc. Wilbur C. Mattern, KIA; no matches for EmcB.)

Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “The following named men died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and were buried at sea.

            0817            Price, Theron E.            Unknown          516585              Died on board

            1437            Frederick, W.E.             Pfc                   813120              Died on board”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “0738 Norris, Joseph M. (Unknown) 434384 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “Collins, S.E. (Unknown) 390677 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Friday, 26 November, 1943.

            “0850 Price, Joseph Doyle 2^nd Lieut. USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Tuesday, 30 November, 1943.

            “0850 Silfies, Lester Paul Pfc 502609 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ’Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

USS Thuban AKA-19

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1000 Picked up tank lighter to remove from screw body of a man.  Tentatively identified by belt as PHILPS, K.N., USMC, killed in action against the enemy.  Finger prints recorded for further identification.  Buried at sea in position shown in death notice.”

            Saturday, 27 November, 1943.

            “1456 The bodies of MACNEIL, R.M. (*) S1/c, 283-84-45, USN; STEBNER, W.F., PFC, 440847, USMC; WALKER, K.W. (*), F1/c, 637-21-14, USNR, who died from wounds received in action against the enemy, and that of FORCE, F.F. (*), GM3/c, 662-25-02, USNR, who died from internal injuries caused by accidental fall into hold, were buried at sea in position shown on death certificate.”

USS Monrovia APA-31

            Saturday, 20 November, 1943.

            “1520 – The following named men of the U.S.M.C. were buried at sea this date 01° 24.5’ N Lat 172° 53.5’ E. Long.

            LYONS, C.A.                 341186              U.S.M.C.R.

                        HARRIS, W.E. Jr.            521470              U.S.M.C.R.

            CABRAL, F.P.               373222              U.S.M.C.R.”

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “0655 The following named men were buried at sea.

                        MOHRLANG, J.K.,            359909,            USMC

                        WILLIAMS, N.,             349591,             USMC

                        McGUIRE, C.G.,            252058,            USMC

                        PAHL, E.D.,                 506790,            USMC

                        AZEROLO, A.F.,            366370,            USMC”

            “1840 Following named officer was buried at sea:

                        WALTER GEORGE OLSON, 2^ND Lieutenant, U.S.M.C. # 268809”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1500 Half masted colors and gave full military honors for the burial of Marine 1^st Lt., O.A. Palopoli, 2^nd Batt., 8^th Marines, USMCR”

            Thursday, 25 November, 1943.

            “0835 – Nail, J.E. Jr., USMCR was buried this date at sea.  Died of gunshot wound in abdomen.”

USS Sheridan APA-51

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1950, commenced loading LST with Marine cargo and equipment.  Seven men of the U.S. Marine corps were buried at sea while in 01-26 N and Long. 172-56 E.”

            “The following named Officers and Men were buried at sea, with Lieut. J.T. KEOWN Chc V(S) USNR Officiating, Major RICH, USMC and Captain SWANSON attending.

            DREWS, H.C.             Major                Amph.Tr.                      USMC

            MULRONEY, T.L.                                  H-2-8                            USMC

            BLEVINS, P.J.              Pfc                   A-1-8                            USMC

            CARLI, W.J.                 Pfc                   Wpns-8                         USMC

            MAPLES, J.J.                                       B-1-8                            USMC

            WALKER, C.F.             Sgt                   B-1-8                            USMC

            BLAKESLEE, L.C.            2^nd Lt.                                                    USMC”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1900, anchor aweigh, underway on various courses and speeds to maintain position in transport area.  Two men of the U.S. Marine Corps were buried at sea while in 01-26 N and Long. 172-53 E.”

            “The following named men of the US Marine Corps were buried at sea with LIEUT. J.T. KEOWN, Chc V (S) USNR Officiating, Major RICH and Captain Swanson USMC attending:

            HODGSON, C.S.            Cpl                   H-2-8                            USMC

            LOWRY, C.V.                                                                            USMC” 

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1957, returned to transport area.  Various courses and speeds to maintain position.  Two men of the US Marine Corps were buried at sea while in Lat 01-26N, Long 172-53 E.”

            “The following named men were buried at sea this date.  Lieut. J.T. Keown Chc V(S)USNR officiating, Major Rich and Capt. Swanson attending.

            STRZBCKI, L.W.            Pfc                   A-1-18                           USMC  

            LOWE, C.D.                  Sgt                   A-1-8                            USMC”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1740, secured from General Quarters.  One man of the U.S. Marine Corps buried at sea this date in Lat. 1-26 N Long 172-56 E.”

            “The following named man was buried at sea.  Lieut. J.T. Keown Chc V(S) USNR officiating.  Major Rich and Capt. Swanson USMC attending.

            LIND, D.H.                                          D-1-1                            USMC”

USS La Salle AP-102

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1925 . . . The following named men were found floating in water.  Pronounced dead by Medical Officer and given military burial at sea:

1.   LOYALL, L.L.                   Sgt.,             USMC,             260-225.

2.   HUNTER, D.F.                              USMC               (No identification tag).

3.   VINCENT, E.J. (*)                          USMC               (No identification tag).

            GUNTER, E. K., Pfc., USMCR, 431-213, died on board at 0645 this date as a result of bullet wound through angle of right mandible, lodged in throat.  Received on board as casualty.  Given proper military burial.”

            Sunday, 28 November, 1943.

            “JORDAN, H.K.             803-700            A-Co., 1^st. Bn. 2^nd Mar.

            Diag:  Gunshot wound, chest.

            Note:  Expired at 2340 22 November, 1943.”  (No indication if buried at sea.)

USS Doyen APA-1

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “0645 Held burial services at sea for the following men:  ANDERVICH, E.F., 463546, USMC (rate unknown), who died at 1725 November 21^st, 1943 and PIETROSILLI, A.J., Pvt. 803672, USMC, who died enroute to USS DOYEN about 2200 November 21, 1943, as a result of wounds received in action on Betio Island.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1135 Boat #15 left the ship with Chaplain and burial party for burial at sea of the following men, who died as a result of wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group:  Lieut. C.L. McNEIL, USMCR (343281), 1^st Bat. 8^th Marines; LOUIS, I.J. Jr., (rate unknown) 479095, USMCR; KEES, M.C., Pfc, 322668, USMC.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1840 Buried two Marines, who died aboard, due to wounds received during action on Tarawa Island:  TWEDELL, D.J. Sgt. 299633, Co 1-A 6^th Marines and SULLIVAN, H.S., Pvt. 486496, Co 3-L- 8^th Marines.”

            Friday, 26 November, 1943.

            “1010 Burial services were held for CECCHINI, F.S., Cpl, (service No. unknown), Co. 1-A 8^th Marines, who died from wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group.”

            Monday, 29 November, 1943.

            “1630 Burial services were held for BUCHANAN, H.D., Pfc, 509914, Co. A-2^nd Marines, who died on board from wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group.”

USS Virgo AKA-20

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Harris APA-2

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “2130 On 2100 fathoms of water, Lat - 1°-10’ North – Long – 172 – 54 East, The bodies of the below named men, who died as a result of wounds suffered in action against the enemy, were buried at sea this date.  Services were read by Chaplain RILEY, Lt. (jg) ChC-USNR.

            HILL, Otho (none), 446171, P.f.c., Co B, 2^nd Amph. Tractor Bn., 2^nd Marine F.M.F. Rgt., U.S.M.C.  DAVIS, James “A” 486402, Pvt., Co. F., 2^nd Bn., 8^th Marine Rgt., 2^nd Marine Div., F.M.F., USMC.  DE BRETAGNE, Hugo “J,” 347476, C.P.L. U.S.M.C. (all available data found).  THAXTON, “J”. “D”., 492688, P.F.C., Co.J, 3^rd Bn., 8^th Rgt., U.S.M.C.”

            (De Bretagne and Thaxton were also reported as being buried at sea the following day, Tuesday, 23 November, 1943, at 0415 hrs.)

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1119 The body of BROWN, “K” “L”  Capt., Co. “A”, 1^st Bn., 10^th Reg. U.S.M.C. who died of wounds received in action was buried at sea in 2350 fathoms of water in Lat 01°-33’ N. Long 174°-11’ E.  Services were ready by Chaplain RILEY, Lt.(jg) ChC – USNR.”

            “1905 The body of DANIELS, Preston Miller (*), PFC, (I.D. No. unknown), Co. ‘B’, 1^st Bn., 2^nd Reg. USMC who died of wounds received in action was buried at sea in 2000 fathoms of water in Lat 1°-28’ N, Long. 173°-36’ E.”

USS J. Franklin Bell APA-16

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Ormsby APA-49

            Saturday, 20 November, 1943.

            “1140 Hoisted on board for shell hole repairs Amphib Tractor number 2-27 from L.S.T. 243 of which had on board three dead from landing operations Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Names of dead:  Lieut. E.J. Weldte, M.C., U.S.N.R.; G.R. Hensel, U.S.M.C. PFC and R.E. Bettick, U.S.M.C. #522273.  No tag upon remains of G.R. Hensel; information obtained from clothing.”

            “1420 Held burial services for the following named officer and men who died in action  while landing at a beachhead at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands:  Lieut. E.J. Weldte (M.C.), U.S.N.; G.R. Hensel, PFC, USMC; and R.E. Bettick, USMC, #522273.  Remains buried at sea in Lat. 01°25’N, Long. 172°55’E.”

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1615 Held burial services for Wells, W., Cpl, 291324, U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°27’N, Long. 172°52’E.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “0920 Held burial services for Taylor, E.C., 349401, PFC, U.S.M.C., who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°23’N, Long. 172°53’E.”

            “1815 Held burial services for Benson, J.D., 331594, Pfc, U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N, Long 172°55’E.”

            “2020 Held burial services for Soyak, J.M., 364745, Pvt., U.S.M.C., who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Island.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N; Long. 172°55’E.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1647 Held burial services for Hopp, Carl, 273179, (rate unknown), U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N, 172°55’E.”

            Sunday, 28 November, 1943.

            “0910 Held burial services for Giba, John, 437421, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R. and Wallace, C.E., 493382, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R., who died in action during landing operations at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°28’N; Long. 172°55’E.”

USS Feland APA-11

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Bellatrix AKA-3

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Solace

            Friday, November 26, 1943.

            “0355 TROWBRIDGE, Kenneth E., 416598, Pfc., USMCR, (Co. A – 10^th), died in this vessel at 0355, this date of WOUNDS, GUNSHOT, Back.  #2576  Key Letter K.  Not due to own misconduct.  CIRCUMSTANCES OF OCCURRENCE:  1.  Within Command.  2.  Work.  3.  Negligence not apparent.  4.  Wounded in action against an organized enemy.”  (No indication that he was BAS.  Hospital ships have morgues, and his body may have been taken to Hawaii.  Also, he is not found in Sherrod’s list.)

*  These six names were not found anywhere in Sherrod’s list.

1.  Sherrod, Robert.  Tarawa: the story of a battle, Fredericksburg, TX: The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, 1944.  207 pp.

2.  Stockman, James R.  The Battle for Tarawa, Historical Section, Div. of Public Information, Headquarters, USMC, 1947.  87 pp.

3.  Alexander, Joseph H.  Utmost Savagery – The Three Days of Tarawa, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995.  304 pp.

4.  Steer, Edward, and Boardman, Thayer M.  “Final Disposition of World War II Dead 1945-51”  QMC Historical Studies Series II, No. 4; Historical Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington, D.C., 1957,  pp. 398-403.

Semper fidelis.  Always faithful.  The Marine Corps takes care of its own.  It accounts for every Marine on the battlefield, recovering wounded and bringing back those killed in action (KIA).  Today, with global positioning system (GPS) to locate graves and DNA-assisted identification, our military can bring them all home again to their families.  During previous wars, however, that wasn’t always the case.

            The battle for Tarawa is an example where many of the men lost in battle have not been accounted for to this day.  Some were known to have been KIA, their deaths or bodies having been witnessed or identified by two or more people.  Some died of wounds (DOW), and still others were listed as missing in action (MIA).

            Robert Sherrod’s book, Tarawa – the Story of a Battle¹, lists the names and ranks of those killed and wounded during the battle.  There are 722 names of those KIA, 77 more DOW, and 151 are listed as MIA.  Many Marines were killed in the water during the assault on Betio’s north beaches, their bodies drifting out to sea on the tides.  Men aboard boats in following waves saw the floating bodies and assumed they were Japanese until they got closer and saw the camouflage uniforms of the USMC.  Some of these bodies were recovered, and some were lost.

            The “official” USMC report, The Battle for Tarawa², by Capt. James R. Stockman, USMC, was published in 1947.  Not specifying names, as Sherrod did, Stockman lists 837 KIA, 34 “Wounded – killed,” 90 “Died of wounds,” with 27 “Missing, presumed dead,” and 2 “Wounded, missing dead.”  That gives only 29 MIA.

            Most recently, and extremely well-researched, in Utmost Savagery – The Three Days of Tarawa³, by Col. Joseph H. Alexander USMC (Ret.), published in 1995, he lists 88 Marines “Missing and presumed dead.” 

Certainly, during the battle, men were separated from their units, with some wounded ending up on various transports, and a true accounting impossible during movement to Hawaii.  By war’s end, however, a fairly accurate roll should have been compiled. 

            MIA status was also given to those who simply disappeared during the violence of battle, sometimes physically obliterated or buried by exploding shells, no trace ever being found.  There seems to be a discrepancy, though, between Sherrod’s list, the subsequent figures, and records at the Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii.  His list shows 151 men MIA, while a tablet at the Punchbowl honoring those MIA or buried at sea (BAS) from Tarawa shows a total of 438.  (The American Battle Monuments Commission website lists the names of those buried in American military cemeteries around the world, and their status if MIA/BAS.  If the search results in “no records found” (NRF) the body may have been recovered and buried in a private cemetery by the family.  Some NRF results are shown for those originally listed as MIA.)  What is odd is that 351 of the men listed on the tablet as MIA/BAS were listed by Sherrod as KIA.  Just which men were buried at sea, and who are now missing instead of KIA?  The logical answer is that many of those 351 still lie in the sands of Betio.

            Burials at sea are always recorded in the deck log of the ship performing the services.  In 1943 “always” was a slightly flexible term, however, and not all ships’ deck logs were as complete as they should have been.  Most of those logs can be found today at our National Archives in College Park, MD, and I decided to see what I could discover.

            Transport Group 4 of Task Force 53 for Operation Galvanic, the assault on Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, was made up of three groups.  TransDiv 4 was formed by the USS Zeilin APA-3, Heywood APA-6, Arthur Middleton APA-25, William P. Biddle APA-8, Harry Lee APA-10, and Thuban AKA-19.  TransDiv 18 had the ships USS Monrovia APA-31, Sheridan APA-51, La Salle AP-102, Doyen APA-1, Virgo AKA-20, and Ashland LSD-1.  In TransDiv 6 there were the USS Harris APA-2, J. Franklin Bell APA-16, Ormsby APA-49, Feland APA-11, and Bellatrix AKA-3.  Hospital ship USS Solace arrived at Tarawa to take on casualties from the previous ships on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1943.

            Wounded men were generally brought to the transports for medical treatment, since they contained prepared medical facilities for this purpose.  The men weren’t always returned to the ship they debarked from, though, and in most cases needy casualties were brought to the nearest available ship.  It’s possible even some of the fire support ships took aboard casualties during the height of the conflict, since they all carried their own medical facilities and personnel.

            The ships’ logs and war diaries examined account for 100 men BAS.  Why the major discrepancy between Sherrod’s accounting of KIA and MIA, taken from official Navy and USMC casualty reports, and today’s MIA/BAS list at the Punchbowl?  Some explanation can be found in “Final Disposition of World War II Dead 1945-51,”⁴ which tells of the difficulty of recovering remains.  About 50 men of the 604^th QM Graves Registration Company arrived at Betio aboard the USAT Lawrence Phillips on March 4, 1946.  Their first objective was to select a cemetery site for collection of remains from all over the island.  An area on the western end of Betio was acquired and approved by the British administrator, and named “Lone Palm Cemetery.”

            “Because of the large number of fatalities and subsequent hurried burials, most deceased servicemen rested in graves near points where they died.  Consequently, the atoll contained approximately 43 separate burial sites, the majority of which were located on Betio Island.”  The report could not account, however, for single, hasty graves that were dug in the heat of battle and became unmarked during subsequent action.  As their work progressed, the recovery team found that previous grave consolidation done by Navy, Marine, and Seabee garrison forces was confusing.

            “In some cases, the Marines had constructed a monument directly above a body or group of remains.  In other instances, no remains could be located beneath monuments.  Again, some memorial graves bore crosses with names but contained no deceased.  Sometimes, later investigations located these individuals in cemeteries on the opposite side of the island.”  The team worked for two days excavating “Grave 33,” but found no remains.  Father O’Neill had officiated during the burial of Marines in three rows at this site, and he suggested they dig in a different direction.  They found first the middle row, then the other two, but recovered only 129 remains of an alleged 400.  In “Grave 26” they recovered 123 remains, and “Grave 14” gave up 41.  “Grave 27” reportedly held 40 dead, but extensive diggings throughout the area was fruitless.

            Dental records were used when possible to identify remains, and they were reinterred with an identification tag and a copy of the Report of Reinterment in a sealed bottle.  A marker at the head of each grave held a 2- by 4-inch metal tag showing the name, rank, and serial number of the deceased.  There were also unidentified dead.  By the end of May 1946, the mission ended with recovery of 532 remains that were buried in Lone Palm Cemetery for later recovery.  Their report included recommendations for the future, such as, “That identification tags be made of stainless steel, monel metal, or some other noncorrosive metal.  The letters on the tags should be embossed, and not etched.”

            Their report also requested that all web and personal equipment be stenciled with name, rank, and serial number, and that ID tags be worn around the neck.  Finally that, “All service personnel should have some GRS training.  By doing this, it is felt that the conditions found on Tarawa would not recur.”

            Since their search of Betio there have been several accidental findings of American remains on the island.  A complete amtrac was unearthed during the laying of a new water line, and in its hold were the remains of three men.  Two were later identified.  While widening the south perimeter road in September 1999, a tree was unearthed, and among its roots were the bones and identification tag of PhM2C Raymond P. Gilmore, USN.  He had been listed as KIA, but was on the MIA/BAS tablet at Punchbowl.

            So here is what we can deduce from this archive search:  1.  Of the 77 men listed as DOW, 59 are confirmed BAS.  2.  The 151 listed as MIA are still MIA.  3.  Of the 731 listed as KIA, 32 were BAS.  4.  Of the remaining 699 KIA, 336 are listed today as MIA/BAS.  5.  If the 604^th QM GRC team found 532 remains, and they were all eventually recovered, there should be only 167 names on the Punchbowl MIA/BAS plaque.

            In conclusion, it is obvious that there are many Marines and Navy corpsmen lying at rest today in the sands of Betio, perhaps hundreds.  Today the western three-fourths of the island is heavily populated, with many buildings undoubtedly built over gravesites.  If more remains are recoverable in the future, it will probably be by accident.  The Marine and Navy monument that now stands on Betio should have a bronze tablet added to one face, reading, “In Memory of the Hundreds Who Rest Here Today.”  The whole island is, in fact, a cemetery.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Dean Ladd, who was wounded during the assault on Tarawa, and was floating in the lagoon, was rescued by a fellow Marine.  I spotted his name on a casualty list and sent him the information.  He replied, “After 59 1/2 years I can now narrow down the possibilities of who helped pull me into that LCVP when I was wounded on 11/21/43. Clues are: that person was also wounded on 11/21, was probably not in my company but most likely in the adjacent C company, had a head wound and probably was BAS also on 11/21. So it was probably Sgt. James J. Maples, C-I-8. I am checking with Ken Desiello who was also pulled up by this extraordinary “unknown Marine. “

Appendix A

Burial at sea entries from ships’ deck logs and war diaries, Nov. 20 to Dec. 1, 1943.

USS Zeilin APA-3

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943

            “1100 the following named Marines having died of gunshot wounds were buried at sea this date at Lat 01° 24’ North; Long 171° 53’ East

            1^st Lieut. C.N. Dunahoe, Jr. #266531, K. Co. 3^rd Battalion, 2^nd Marines

            M. ROE                        #812320          USMC

            W.D. MC KIBBEN    #311493            USMC

            G.M. CONNER              # 331500            USMC

            J.F. DEMARCHE   # 394 684 USMC

            James O HARA            (*)    # Unknown            USMC”

            “1930 The following named Marines having died of gunshot wounds were buried at sea in Lat 00° 55’ North Long 172° 43’ East

            Alton H. JARRETT            #272411-P       USMC

            T.R. HERBIG                          834818  USMC

            H.B. Browning                         Unknown            USMC

            A.F. JACKSON,                      Unknown            USMC”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943

            “1100 The following named man, having died of gunshot wounds, was buried at sea: L.A. MONROE, Pfc. 801820, USMC.  Lat. 01° 25’ North, Long. 172° 54’ East.”

USS Heywood APA-6

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943

            “1415 Conducted burial services at sea in position 01°-24’-20” N., 172°-55’-20” E. of following casualties of current operations:  Captain Robert Woodman ROSE, USMCR; CHACON, G., 407219, Pfc., USMC; CHODL, F.T., 397852, USMC; LEE, Wilson R., 363259, USMC; CAMPBELL, James P., 390302, USMC; WILSON, J.A., 491228, USMC; RIGGIN, James Malcolm, 481111, USMCR.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943

            “1400 Burial services were held at sea.  Position: 01°-25’-30” N., 172°-55’-30” E., for casualty of current operations:  HIGUERA, R.A., 817396, Pfc., USMCR, F-Co., 2^nd Bat., 8^th Marines.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943

            “0935 Commenced reembarking troops of the LT-2/8, U.S. Marines.  Held burial service at sea, in position 01°-25’-00” N., 172°-55’-00” E., for the following casualty of the current operations:  WHATLEY, R.L., Pvt., 499270, Co., “D”, 1^st Bat., 8^th Marines.”

USS Arthur Middleton APA-25

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “*0811 Lowered ensign to half-mast and buried at sea the following marines killed in action during the occupation of Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands on 20 November, 1943:

            Name                                       Rate                 Unit                  Serial No.  

            MAURIELLO, Ugo            Sgt.                  L-3-2                 266107

            MEADOW, Wayne G.            Cpl.                  M-3-2                321944

            VEECK, W.E.               Sgt.                  G-2-2                269977”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “*0915 Held burial services and buried at sea McPHEE, E.M. (832539) Pvt., U.S.M.C. and VIA, W.D. (476924) Pvt., U.S.M.C.”  Ship was underway at 11 knots, steaming in formation.

USS William P. Biddle APA-8

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1930 burial at sea of following named Marines:  Foreman, John F. 418165, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R.  Marallus, Kenneth W. 458391, Pvt., U.S.M.C.R.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1930 buried Nagayama, Toin, Prisoner of war at sea.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1545 dead Marine transferred to beach, Martinez, L.J. 323462, U.S.M.C. Corp.  Burned up LVT found adrift containing two burned bodies.  Sent to beach upon orders of Marine shore party.  It sunk on the way in.  Two dog tags found in LVT adjacent to the bodies gave the following names:  Green, M. 466 484 H.  Mayer, Milton J. 486 415.”

            Thursday, 25 November, 1943.

            “1900 held burial at sea for W.R. Brown, Corp. U.S.M.C.”  Ship was underway at 14 knots on course 110° T.

USS Harry Lee APA-10

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “The following named men died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and were buried at sea.

            0045 – Unknown            Initial on ring WM                        Received on board dead

            0045 – Marshall, E            Unknown          276118                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            0815 – Bozarth, David B. Jr.   Sgt.            308950                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            1545 – Unknown            Initial on ring EmcB                             Ö           Ö          Ö

            1545 – Mahoney, JW            Unknown          360699                      Ö           Ö          Ö

            1817 – Gilbert, WE            Pfc                   308796              Died on board”

(WM and EmcB could have been listed in the after action reports as MIA, KIA, or DOW.  Among those with the same initials are: Cpl. Wayne G. Meadow, KIA; Cpl. Walter A. Miller, KIA; Pfc. Wilbur C. Mattern, KIA; no matches for EmcB.)

Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “The following named men died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and were buried at sea.

            0817            Price, Theron E.            Unknown          516585              Died on board

            1437            Frederick, W.E.             Pfc                   813120              Died on board”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “0738 Norris, Joseph M. (Unknown) 434384 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “Collins, S.E. (Unknown) 390677 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Friday, 26 November, 1943.

            “0850 Price, Joseph Doyle 2^nd Lieut. USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ‘Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

            Tuesday, 30 November, 1943.

            “0850 Silfies, Lester Paul Pfc 502609 USMC died from wounds received in action during operation ’Galvanic’ and was buried at sea.”

USS Thuban AKA-19

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1000 Picked up tank lighter to remove from screw body of a man.  Tentatively identified by belt as PHILPS, K.N., USMC, killed in action against the enemy.  Finger prints recorded for further identification.  Buried at sea in position shown in death notice.”

            Saturday, 27 November, 1943.

            “1456 The bodies of MACNEIL, R.M. (*) S1/c, 283-84-45, USN; STEBNER, W.F., PFC, 440847, USMC; WALKER, K.W. (*), F1/c, 637-21-14, USNR, who died from wounds received in action against the enemy, and that of FORCE, F.F. (*), GM3/c, 662-25-02, USNR, who died from internal injuries caused by accidental fall into hold, were buried at sea in position shown on death certificate.”

USS Monrovia APA-31

            Saturday, 20 November, 1943.

            “1520 – The following named men of the U.S.M.C. were buried at sea this date 01° 24.5’ N Lat 172° 53.5’ E. Long.

            LYONS, C.A.                 341186              U.S.M.C.R.

                        HARRIS, W.E. Jr.            521470              U.S.M.C.R.

            CABRAL, F.P.               373222              U.S.M.C.R.”

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “0655 The following named men were buried at sea.

                        MOHRLANG, J.K.,            359909,            USMC

                        WILLIAMS, N.,             349591,             USMC

                        McGUIRE, C.G.,            252058,            USMC

                        PAHL, E.D.,                 506790,            USMC

                        AZEROLO, A.F.,            366370,            USMC”

            “1840 Following named officer was buried at sea:

                        WALTER GEORGE OLSON, 2^ND Lieutenant, U.S.M.C. # 268809”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1500 Half masted colors and gave full military honors for the burial of Marine 1^st Lt., O.A. Palopoli, 2^nd Batt., 8^th Marines, USMCR”

            Thursday, 25 November, 1943.

            “0835 – Nail, J.E. Jr., USMCR was buried this date at sea.  Died of gunshot wound in abdomen.”

USS Sheridan APA-51

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1950, commenced loading LST with Marine cargo and equipment.  Seven men of the U.S. Marine corps were buried at sea while in 01-26 N and Long. 172-56 E.”

            “The following named Officers and Men were buried at sea, with Lieut. J.T. KEOWN Chc V(S) USNR Officiating, Major RICH, USMC and Captain SWANSON attending.

            DREWS, H.C.             Major                Amph.Tr.                      USMC

            MULRONEY, T.L.                                  H-2-8                            USMC

            BLEVINS, P.J.              Pfc                   A-1-8                            USMC

            CARLI, W.J.                 Pfc                   Wpns-8                         USMC

            MAPLES, J.J.                                       B-1-8                            USMC

            WALKER, G.F.             Sgt                   B-1-8                            USMC

            BLAKESLEE, L.C.            2^nd Lt.                                                    USMC”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1900, anchor aweigh, underway on various courses and speeds to maintain position in transport area.  Two men of the U.S. Marine Corps were buried at sea while in 01-26 N and Long. 172-53 E.”

            “The following named men of the US Marine Corps were buried at sea with LIEUT. J.T. KEOWN, Chc V (S) USNR Officiating, Major RICH and Captain Swanson USMC attending:

            HODGSON, C.S.            Cpl                   H-2-8                            USMC

            LOWRY, C.V.                                                                            USMC” 

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1957, returned to transport area.  Various courses and speeds to maintain position.  Two men of the US Marine Corps were buried at sea while in Lat 01-26N, Long 172-53 E.”

            “The following named men were buried at sea this date.  Lieut. J.T. Keown Chc V(S)USNR officiating, Major Rich and Capt. Swanson attending.

            STRZBCKI, L.W.            Pfc                   A-1-18                           USMC  

            LOWE, C.D.                  Sgt                   A-1-8                            USMC”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1740, secured from General Quarters.  One man of the U.S. Marine Corps buried at sea this date in Lat. 1-26 N Long 172-56 E.”

            “The following named man was buried at sea.  Lieut. J.T. Keown Chc V(S) USNR officiating.  Major Rich and Capt. Swanson USMC attending.

            LIND, D.H.                                          D-1-1                            USMC”

USS La Salle AP-102

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “1925 . . . The following named men were found floating in water.  Pronounced dead by Medical Officer and given military burial at sea:

1.   LOYALL, L.L.                   Sgt.,             USMC,             260-225.

2.   HUNTER, D.F.                              USMC               (No identification tag).

3.   VINCENT, E.J. (*)                          USMC               (No identification tag).

            GUNTER, E. K., Pfc., USMCR, 431-213, died on board at 0645 this date as a result of bullet wound through angle of right mandible, lodged in throat.  Received on board as casualty.  Given proper military burial.”

            Sunday, 28 November, 1943.

            “JORDAN, H.K.             803-700            A-Co., 1^st. Bn. 2^nd Mar.

            Diag:  Gunshot wound, chest.

            Note:  Expired at 2340 22 November, 1943.”  (No indication if buried at sea.)

USS Doyen APA-1

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “0645 Held burial services at sea for the following men:  ANDERVICH, E.F., 463546, USMC (rate unknown), who died at 1725 November 21^st, 1943 and PIETROSILLI, A.J., Pvt. 803672, USMC, who died enroute to USS DOYEN about 2200 November 21, 1943, as a result of wounds received in action on Betio Island.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1135 Boat #15 left the ship with Chaplain and burial party for burial at sea of the following men, who died as a result of wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group:  Lieut. C.L. McNEIL, USMCR (343281), 1^st Bat. 8^th Marines; LOUIS, I.J. Jr., (rate unknown) 479095, USMCR; KEES, M.C., Pfc, 322668, USMC.”

            Wednesday, 24 November, 1943.

            “1840 Buried two Marines, who died aboard, due to wounds received during action on Tarawa Island:  TWEDELL, D.J. Sgt. 299633, Co 1-A 6^th Marines and SULLIVAN, H.S., Pvt. 486496, Co 3-L- 8^th Marines.”

            Friday, 26 November, 1943.

            “1010 Burial services were held for CECCHINI, F.S., Cpl, (service No. unknown), Co. 1-A 8^th Marines, who died from wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group.”

            Monday, 29 November, 1943.

            “1630 Burial services were held for BUCHANAN, H.D., Pfc, 509914, Co. A-2^nd Marines, who died on board from wounds sustained during action on Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Island Group.”

USS Virgo AKA-20

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Harris APA-2

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “2130 On 2100 fathoms of water, Lat - 1°-10’ North – Long – 172 – 54 East, The bodies of the below named men, who died as a result of wounds suffered in action against the enemy, were buried at sea this date.  Services were read by Chaplain RILEY, Lt. (jg) ChC-USNR.

            HILL, Otho (none), 446171, P.f.c., Co B, 2^nd Amph. Tractor Bn., 2^nd Marine F.M.F. Rgt., U.S.M.C.  DAVIS, James “A” 486402, Pvt., Co. F., 2^nd Bn., 8^th Marine Rgt., 2^nd Marine Div., F.M.F., USMC.  DE BRETAGNE, Hugo “J,” 347476, C.P.L. U.S.M.C. (all available data found).  THAXTON, “J”. “D”., 492688, P.F.C., Co.J, 3^rd Bn., 8^th Rgt., U.S.M.C.”

            (De Bretagne and Thaxton were also reported as being buried at sea the following day, Tuesday, 23 November, 1943, at 0415 hrs.)

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1119 The body of BROWN, “K” “L”  Capt., Co. “A”, 1^st Bn., 10^th Reg. U.S.M.C. who died of wounds received in action was buried at sea in 2350 fathoms of water in Lat 01°-33’ N. Long 174°-11’ E.  Services were ready by Chaplain RILEY, Lt.(jg) ChC – USNR.”

            “1905 The body of DANIELS, Preston Miller (*), PFC, (I.D. No. unknown), Co. ‘B’, 1^st Bn., 2^nd Reg. USMC who died of wounds received in action was buried at sea in 2000 fathoms of water in Lat 1°-28’ N, Long. 173°-36’ E.”

USS J. Franklin Bell APA-16

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Ormsby APA-49

            Saturday, 20 November, 1943.

            “1140 Hoisted on board for shell hole repairs Amphib Tractor number 2-27 from L.S.T. 243 of which had on board three dead from landing operations Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Names of dead:  Lieut. E.J. Weldte, M.C., U.S.N.R.; G.R. Hensel, U.S.M.C. PFC and R.E. Bettick, U.S.M.C. #522273.  No tag upon remains of G.R. Hensel; information obtained from clothing.”

            “1420 Held burial services for the following named officer and men who died in action  while landing at a beachhead at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands:  Lieut. E.J. Weldte (M.C.), U.S.N.; G.R. Hensel, PFC, USMC; and R.E. Bettick, USMC, #522273.  Remains buried at sea in Lat. 01°25’N, Long. 172°55’E.”

            Sunday, 21 November, 1943.

            “1615 Held burial services for Wells, W., Cpl, 291324, U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°27’N, Long. 172°52’E.”

            Monday, 22 November, 1943.

            “0920 Held burial services for Taylor, E.C., 349401, PFC, U.S.M.C., who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°23’N, Long. 172°53’E.”

            “1815 Held burial services for Benson, J.D., 331594, Pfc, U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N, Long 172°55’E.”

            “2020 Held burial services for Soyak, J.M., 364745, Pvt., U.S.M.C., who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Island.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N; Long. 172°55’E.”

            Tuesday, 23 November, 1943.

            “1647 Held burial services for Hopp, Carl, 273179, (rate unknown), U.S.M.C. who died in action while landing at a beach-head at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°25’N, 172°55’E.”

            Sunday, 28 November, 1943.

            “0910 Held burial services for Giba, John, 437421, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R. and Wallace, C.E., 493382, Pfc, U.S.M.C.R., who died in action during landing operations at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.  Remains buried in Lat. 01°28’N; Long. 172°55’E.”

USS Feland APA-11

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Bellatrix AKA-3

            No record of any burial at sea.

USS Solace

            Friday, November 26, 1943.

            “0355 TROWBRIDGE, Kenneth E., 416598, Pfc., USMCR, (Co. A – 10^th), died in this vessel at 0355, this date of WOUNDS, GUNSHOT, Back.  #2576  Key Letter K.  Not due to own misconduct.  CIRCUMSTANCES OF OCCURRENCE:  1.  Within Command.  2.  Work.  3.  Negligence not apparent.  4.  Wounded in action against an organized enemy.”  (No indication that he was BAS.  Hospital ships have morgues, and his body may have been taken to Hawaii.  Also, he is not found in Sherrod’s list.)

*  These six names were not found anywhere in Sherrod’s list.

1.  Sherrod, Robert.  Tarawa: the story of a battle, Fredericksburg, TX: The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, 1944.  207 pp.

2.  Stockman, James R.  The Battle for Tarawa, Historical Section, Div. of Public Information, Headquarters, USMC, 1947.  87 pp.

3.  Alexander, Joseph H.  Utmost Savagery – The Three Days of Tarawa, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1995.  304 pp.

4.  Steer, Edward, and Boardman, Thayer M.  “Final Disposition of World War II Dead 1945-51”  QMC Historical Studies Series II, No. 4; Historical Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington, D.C., 1957,  pp. 398-403.