Just A Pistol And A Lot Of Bravery

Medal Of Honor Recipient Harry Martin was a First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. At the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as platoon leader attached to Company C, 5th Pioneer Battalion, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 26 March 1945. With his sector under a concentrated enemy attack launched a few minutes before dawn, 1st Lt. Martin instantly organized a firing line with the marines nearest his foxhole and succeeded in checking momentarily the headlong rush of the Japanese. Determined to rescue several of his men trapped in positions overrun by the enemy, he defied intense hostile fire to work his way through the Japanese to the surrounded marines. Although sustaining 2 severe wounds, he blasted the Japanese who attempted to intercept him, and found his men. When 4 of the enemy took possession of an abandoned machinegun pit, 1st Lt. Martin, alone and armed only with a pistol, boldly charged the hostile position and killed all of its occupants. He then called to his men to follow and then charged into the enemy. He was killed by a grenade in the attack.