 |
| PFC Albert Schwab earned the Medal of Honor with the 1st Marine Division in Okinawa. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6404096/albert-earnest-schwab https://www.ww2online.org/image/us-marine-firing-flamethrower-okinawaese-fortification-okinawa-1945 |
Albert Earnest Schwab never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Albert was born on July 17, 1920 in Washington, D.C. His parents George and Josephine (Robitaille) were born in Virginia and Minnesota, respectively. His father worked as a civil engineer and later as an oil company land supervisor. The family lived in Oklahoma in the 1920s and 1930s. Albert had four younger sisters. His parents divorced before 1940. By 1940 Albert had completed one year of college. He was married to his wife Kaye and was working as an oil field worker in Texas. They had one son.
He enlisted in the Marines in May 1944. He became a private first class in the HQ Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division which he joined in time for the invasion of Okinawa. He was trained to use a flamethrower, a position with a high casualty rate.
On May 7, 1945 PFC Schwab's company was pinned down and taking heavy casualties. He took the initiative to scale a cliff to take out the enemy machine-gun. Success was met by having to deal with a second Japanese machine-gun. PFC Schwab also destroyed that one, but it came at the cost of his life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
His Medal of Honor citation reads as follows:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a flamethrower operator in action against enemy Japanese forces.
Quick to take action when his company was pinned down in a valley and suffered resultant heavy casualties under blanketing machinegun fire emanating from a high ridge to the front, Pfc. Schwab, unable to flank the enemy emplacement because of steep cliffs on either side, advanced up the face of the ridge in bold defiance of the intense barrage and, skillfully directing the fire of his flamethrower, quickly demolished the hostile gun position, thereby enabling his company to occupy the ridge.
Suddenly a second enemy machinegun opened fire, killing and wounding several marines with its initial bursts. Estimating with split-second decision the tactical difficulties confronting his comrades, Pfc. Schwab elected to continue his l-man assault despite a diminished supply of fuel for his flamethrower. Cool and indomitable, he moved forward in the face of a direct concentration of hostile fire, relentlessly closed the enemy position and attacked. Although severely wounded by a final vicious blast from the enemy weapon, Pfc. Schwab had succeeded in destroying 2 highly strategic Japanese gun positions during a critical stage of the operation and, by his dauntless, single-handed efforts, had materially furthered the advance of his company.
His aggressive initiative, outstanding valor and professional skill throughout the bitter conflict sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
His grave is at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I don't know what happened to his widow or son.
This is one of the final 50 stories to be written as part of this project which ends on September 2, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. At that time more than 1,370 men and women will have been profiled. The project will live on in an expanded program to write the stories of all 400,000+ US World War II fallen. Visit www.storiesbehindthestars.org to learn more. We welcome your continued support and interest and encourage you to help write some of these stories.
Last year on this date I profiled Normandy fallen Eldon Abbott, 79th Infantry Division. You can read about Eldon here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
No comments:
Post a Comment