Medal of Honor: Richard Beatty Anderson – World War II – Marshall Islands – February 1944

Name: Richard Beatty Anderson
Rank: Private First Class
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: 4th Marine Division
Place: Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
Born: 26 June 1921, Tacoma, Washington
Accredited To: Washington

Summary of Action

On 1 February 1944, during the assault on Roi Island in the Marshall Islands, Private First Class Richard Beatty Anderson was sheltering in a shell crater with three fellow Marines under intense enemy fire. As he prepared to throw a grenade at a nearby Japanese position, the grenade slipped from his grasp and rolled back into the crater where the men were crowded together.

With no time to recover or throw the live grenade clear, Pfc. Anderson instantly acted. Fully aware of the consequences, he hurled himself onto the grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion with his body. His deliberate and selfless act saved the lives of the Marines beside him at the cost of his own.

His sacrifice stands as a stark, enduring example of devotion to comrades and duty beyond life itself.

Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Marine Division during action against enemy Japanese forces on Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 1 February 1944. Entering a shell crater occupied by 3 other marines, Pfc. Anderson was preparing to throw a grenade at an enemy position when it slipped from his hands and rolled toward the men at the bottom of the hole. With insufficient time to retrieve the armed weapon and throw it, Pfc. Anderson fearlessly chose to sacrifice himself and save his companions by hurling his body upon the grenade and taking the full impact of the explosion. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.