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| Cpl. Martin Heim served with the 1st Marine Division on Peleliu. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43045812/martin-leo-heim https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Peleliu/index.html |
Martin Leo Heim never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Martin was born on March 11, 1920 in Pennsylvania. His parents Frank and Odelia were also both born in Pennsylvania. His father worked as a retail hardware merchant and later as a carpenter. Martin had one older sister. By 1940 Martin had completed four years of high school and was still living at home.
He enlisted in the marines on February 9, 1942. He became a corporal in Company B, 1st Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 1st Marine Division. The 1st ATB operated tracked LTVs used to transport troops from ships to landing beaches and transport men and supplies further inland. Cpl. Heim would have been heavily involved during the landing on Peleliu on September 15, 1944. Over the next month the 1st MD sustained heavy casualties totaling 6,500 men - more than a third of its compliment.
Cpl. Heim was killed on October 13, 1944. He was killed by a sniper. A contemporary newspaper account said the same sniper shot 86 other marines that day.
His grave is at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Last year on this date I profiled Luzon fallen Bruce Cotten, 25th Infantry Division. You can read about Bruce 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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