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| Sgt. Major Henton Lockley served with the 4th Marine Division at Iwo Jima. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66960108 https://worldwar2database.com/gallery/wwii1185 |
Dan Henton Lockley never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Dan was born on October 13, 1919 in Newton, Mississippi. His parents Dan and Bessie were also born in Mississippi. His father worked as a carpenter and later as a farmer and died in February 1938. Dan had two older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger brother.
He enlisted in the US Marine Corps in September 1938. After completing boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to the Marine Barracks at Boston and later to the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Marine Regiment, rising to the rank of Sgt Major. In April 1943, Dan married the former Helen Schroeder in North Carolina.
The 23rd Marine Regiment was activated on 20 July 1942 at New River, North Carolina and was assigned to the 4th Marine Division in February 1943. The 23rd Marines first saw combat in the battle of Kwajalein 31 January to 3 February 1944, and later that year participated in the Saipan and Tinian campaigns.
On 19 February 1945, the 23rd Marines went ashore onto the black volcanic sandy beaches of Iwo Jima. Initially, the Marines met little resistance from the Japanese defenses, which had been subjected to a vigorous pre-invasion bombardment by the Navy. However, as the men and machines began to pile up on the beaches and slowly inch their way inland, machine guns, mortars, and heavy artillery began to rain down on the crowded beach, which was quickly transformed into a nightmarish bloodbath. Sgt. Maj. Lockley was killed in action on the first day of the battle of Iwo Jima.
By the end of the battle, five weeks later, the Marines and Navy suffered over 26,000 casualties.
Dan Henton Lockley was initially buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima and was later reinterred in Memorial Park Cemetery in Union, Mississippi. His widow remarried after the war and passed away in 1996.
Two of Dan’s brothers also served in the USMC and survived the war.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Last year on this date I profiled Silver Star hero Marvin Webster, 4th Infantry Division. You can read about Marvin 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
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