Medal of Honor: Joseph William Ozbourn – World War II, July 30, 1944

Joseph William Ozbourn
Rank: Private
Conflict: World War II
Unit: 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division
Date of Action: July 30, 1944
Location: Tinian Island, Marianas Islands

Summary of Action:
The sun beat down on the jungle edge of Tinian Island, where the battle was reaching its brutal climax. Japanese defenders, fanatical and entrenched, refused to yield their island stronghold. Among the Marines sweeping through the tree line, flushing out the last dugouts and pillboxes, was a young BAR man from Herrin, Illinois—Private Joseph William Ozbourn.

Assigned to a platoon tasked with eliminating the final pockets of resistance, Ozbourn moved forward with two Marines on either side, a live grenade in his hand, the enemy dugout just ahead. But before he could throw, the enemy fired—point-blank. The blast ripped through the line, wounding all five men, including Ozbourn himself.

Bleeding and dazed, he looked down at the armed grenade still clutched in his fist—its fuse burning toward deadly conclusion.

There was no time. No chance to throw it into the dugout. No safe place to hurl it without endangering his fellow Marines.

So Ozbourn made a decision only heroes make.

Without hesitation, he pulled the grenade to his chest, turned away from his comrades, and threw himself to the ground. The explosion tore through him—but spared the lives of the men beside him.

In the space of a heartbeat, Joseph W. Ozbourn gave everything. Not out of instinct. Not by accident. But with full knowledge that by embracing death, he would give life to others.

Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Browning Automatic Rifleman serving with the 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, during the battle for enemy Japanese-held Tinian Island, Marianas Islands, 30 July 1944. As a member of a platoon assigned the mission of clearing the remaining Japanese troops from dugouts and pillboxes along a tree line, Pvt. Ozbourn, flanked by 2 men on either side, was moving forward to throw an armed handgrenade into a dugout when a terrific blast from the entrance severely wounded the 4 men and himself. Unable to throw the grenade into the dugout and with no place to hurl it without endangering the other men, Pvt. Ozbourn unhesitatingly grasped it close to his body and fell upon it, sacrificing his own life to absorb the full impact of the explosion, but saving his comrades. His great personal valor and unwavering loyalty reflect the highest credit upon Pvt. Ozbourn and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.