Medal of Honor: Robert M. McTureous Jr. - World War II - June 7, 1945

Name: Robert Miller McTureous Jr.
Rank: Private
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
War: World War II
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division
Date of Action: June 7, 1945
Location: Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands

Summary of Action

On 7 June 1945, during the bitter fighting on Okinawa, Private Robert M. McTureous Jr. displayed extraordinary heroism while serving with the 3rd Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division.

After his company successfully seized a strategically important hill, Marines immediately began evacuating the wounded from the newly captured position. As stretcher bearers moved to the rear with casualties, hidden Japanese machine-gun positions suddenly opened fire, pinning them down and threatening to inflict even greater losses.

Recognizing the desperate situation, McTureous acted without hesitation.

Filling his jacket with hand grenades, he launched a one-man assault directly against the enemy-held cave positions from which the devastating fire was coming.

Completely disregarding his own safety, he raced forward under intense rifle and machine-gun fire, hurling grenades into the cave entrances and forcing the Japanese defenders to turn their attention away from the vulnerable stretcher teams and toward himself.

When his supply of grenades was exhausted, McTureous did not break off the attack.

Instead, he fought his way back through the deadly fire to his own lines, replenished his ammunition, and then charged forward once again to continue systematically reducing the enemy positions.

His relentless assault silenced numerous Japanese firing points and threw the defenders into confusion, but not before he himself suffered severe wounds.

Even then, his concern remained for his fellow Marines.

Knowing that calling for immediate assistance would expose additional men to enemy fire, McTureous refused to summon help.

Instead, he painfully crawled approximately 200 yards back toward friendly lines before finally allowing others to aid him.

His fearless initiative and willingness to sacrifice himself for his comrades neutralized the enemy fire, killed six Japanese soldiers, and effectively disorganized the remainder of the defending force, allowing the evacuation of the wounded to continue.

Private Robert M. McTureous Jr.'s extraordinary courage and selfless devotion to duty reflected the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Medal of Honor Citation

McTUREOUS, ROBERT MILLER, JR.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps.

Born: 26 March 1924, Altoona, Fla.

Accredited to: Florida.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 3d Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa in the Ryukyu Chain, 7 June 1945. Alert and ready for any hostile counteraction following his company’s seizure of an important hill objective, Pvt. McTureous was quick to observe the plight of company stretcher bearers who were suddenly assailed by slashing machine-gun fire as they attempted to evacuate wounded at the rear of the newly won position. Determined to prevent further casualties, he quickly filled his jacket with hand grenades and charged the enemy-occupied caves from which the concentrated barrage was emanating. Coolly disregarding all personal danger as he waged his furious one-man assault, he smashed grenades into the cave entrances, thereby diverting the heaviest fire from the stretcher bearers to his own person and, resolutely returning to his own lines under a blanketing hail of rifle and machine-gun fire to replenish his supply of grenades, dauntlessly continued his systematic reduction of Japanese strength until he himself sustained serious wounds after silencing a large number of the hostile guns. Aware of his own critical condition and unwilling to further endanger the lives of his comrades, he stoically crawled a distance of 200 yards to a sheltered position within friendly lines before calling for aid. By his fearless initiative and bold tactics, Pvt. McTureous had succeeded in neutralizing the enemy fire, killing six Japanese troops and effectively disorganizing the remainder of the savagely defending garrison. His outstanding valor and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice during a critical stage of operations reflect the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service.