History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 5, 2014 This was a medal I acquired from the SOS and was happy to be able to bring this one home. 2nd Lt. John A. Decker showed gallantry and bravery during the fierce fighting which took place on Bloody Nose Ridge at Peleliu. He lead his mean and volunteered to silence many enemy machine-gun nests, his citation takes place over a period of two days....September 14 - September 16, 1944 when he was killed while holding his ground during a fierce Japanese counterattack. He was originally put-in for the Navy Cross and received several endorsements for the award, but was awarded a Silver Star instead. By the time he hit the beaches of Peleliu, he had already served with the Marines on Cape Gloucester and New Britain. After capturing The Point, the 1st Marines moved north into the Umurbrogol pocket, named "Bloody Nose Ridge" by the Marines. Puller led his men in numerous assaults, but every one brought on severe casualties by the Japanese. The 1st Marines were trapped within the narrow paths between the ridges, with each ridge fortification supporting the other with deadly crossfire. The Marines took increasingly high casualties as they slowly advanced through the ridges. The Japanese again showed unusual fire discipline, striking only when they could inflict maximum casualties. As casualties mounted, Japanese snipers began to take aim at stretcher bearers, knowing that if two stretcher bearers were injured or killed, more would have to return to replace them, and the snipers could steadily pick off more and more Marines. In place of their banzai attacks, the Japanese infiltrated the American lines at night to attack the Marines in their foxholes. The Marines built two-man foxholes, so one could sleep while the other kept watch for infiltrators. One particularly bloody battle on Bloody Nose came when the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines—under the command of Major Raymond Davis—attacked Hill 100. Over six days of fighting, the battalion suffered 71% casualties. Captain Everett Pope and his company penetrated deep into the ridges, leading his remaining 90 men to seize what he thought was Hill 100. It took a day fighting to reach what he thought was the crest of the hill, which was in fact another ridge, occupied by more Japanese defenders. Trapped at the base of the ridge, Pope set up a small defense perimeter, which was attacked relentlessly by the Japanese throughout the night. The Marines soon ran out of ammunition, and had to fight the attackers with knives and fists, even resorting to throwing coral rock and empty ammunition boxes at the Japanese. Pope and his men managed to hold out until dawn which brought on more deadly fire. When they evacuated the position, only nine men remained. Pope later received the Medal of Honor for the action. The Japanese eventually inflicted 58% casualties on Puller's 1st Marines, who lost 1,749 out of approximately 3,000 men. After six days of fighting in the ridges of Umurbrogol, General Roy Geiger, commander of the III Amphibious Corps, sent elements of 81st Infantry Division to Peleliu to relieve the regiment. The 321st Regiment Combat Team landed on the western beaches of Peleliu—at the northern end of Umurbrogol mountain—on 23 September. The 321st Regiment, 5th, and then 7th Marines took turns attacking the Umurbrogol, and all suffered similar casualties. By mid-October, the 5th and 7th Marines both lost around half their men while clawing their way through the ridges. Geiger then decided to evacuate the entire 1st Marine Division, to be replaced by more 81st troops. The 323rd Regimental Combat Team landed on 15 October, and by the third week of October, almost all of the Marines had been evacuated back to Pavuvu. The Army troops battled the remaining Japanese on Bloody Nose Ridge for another month before securing the island. On 24 November, Nakagawa proclaimed "Our sword is broken and we have run out of spears". He then burnt his regimental colors and performed ritual suicide. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general for his valor displayed on Peleliu. On 27 November, the island was declared secure, ending the 73-day long battle.[9] A Japanese lieutenant with his 26 2nd Infantry soldiers and eight 45th Guard Force sailors held out in the caves in Peleliu until April 22, 1947 and surrendered after a Japanese admiral convinced them the war was over. 2nd Lieutenant John A. Decker, USMCR Born: 11 January 1921 Wimberley, Texas Co. G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division KIA: 18 September 1944 "Bloody Nose Ridge", Peleliu, Palau Silver Star Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant John A. Decker (MCSN: 227711), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while attached to the Second Battalion, First Marines, FIRST Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu, Palau Islands, 16 - 18 September 1944. When his entire battalion was held up by a strongly emplaced enemy pillbox on 16 September, Second Lieutenant Decker courageously volunteered to neutralize it and, leading a small patrol on this hazardous mission, succeeded in destroying two hostile machine guns with their crews. On the following day he led his rifle platoon in a furious assault against the ridge north of the airport and, upon discovering that an enemy machine gun farther up the crest was inflicting heavy casualties upon his flanking unit, daringly advanced alone under heavy fire and destroyed the hostile position with grenades. During a severe enemy counterattack that same night, Second Lieutenant Decker was killed as he arose to throw a grenade at an advancing Japanese. His aggressive fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty were an inspiration to his men and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country. RIP 2nd Lt. Decker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted March 5, 2014 Lt. John A. Decker was the platoon leader of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines. He was known as "Deck" to his fellow marines. Fellow Marine, Bruce Watkins (Platoon leader of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines), described him this way - "a good friend, a died-in-the-wool Texan, who could tell the tallest stories you ever heard." Silver Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted March 5, 2014 Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted March 5, 2014 Engraving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted March 5, 2014 Documents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted March 5, 2014 Casualty card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted March 5, 2014 Letter from Decker's father, who was a county judge in San Marcos, to Lyndon B. Johnson who was their representative at the time asking for information regarding his son....along with a letter to Johnson from Vandegrift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted March 5, 2014 The letter that every family member wished they would never receive during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted March 5, 2014 2nd Vandegrift telegram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted March 5, 2014 Major Peck letter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted March 5, 2014 Recommendation for Navy Cross and citation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted March 5, 2014 Issuance that Nimitz recommends him for the Silver Star along with other Silver Star endorsement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted March 5, 2014 Silver Star citation: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted March 5, 2014 Share #14 Posted March 5, 2014 Wow ! A great valor medal ! I need to get to the Sos ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
History Man Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted March 5, 2014 His headstone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted March 5, 2014 Share #16 Posted March 5, 2014 "Impossible to fingerprint". What a graphic reminder of the ferocity of the Pacific, and for that matter, all campaigns these boys had to endure. Nice find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted March 5, 2014 Share #17 Posted March 5, 2014 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted March 5, 2014 Share #18 Posted March 5, 2014 You are beginning to corner the market on USMC Silver Stars! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HistoryNut Posted March 5, 2014 Share #19 Posted March 5, 2014 Extremely nice medal...thank you for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDogMilitaria Posted March 5, 2014 Share #20 Posted March 5, 2014 Really nice Phillip. Thanks for sharing this brave mans story with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1ashooter Posted March 5, 2014 Share #21 Posted March 5, 2014 Thanks for sharing the valor of a fellow Texan. Where is he buried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry K. Posted March 5, 2014 Share #22 Posted March 5, 2014 The taking of that damn island was a waste of Marines! Nice medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted March 5, 2014 Share #23 Posted March 5, 2014 Philip, a fantastic addition to your budding USMC collection. Any ideas on the whereabouts of the purple heart? I have a posthumous Iwo Jima silver star where there is no inkling or trace of the purple heart anywhere. I assume there is a transmital letter in the file regarding the purple heart. Congrats on a great find and your great preservation of this hard charger's amazing story. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidercollector Posted March 5, 2014 Share #24 Posted March 5, 2014 Phillip ,very nice medal. Glad to see it in good hands for such a young collector.I love marine silver stars for WW2, I also have one from peleliu.Where abouts of the purple heart is that the daughter has it.And wants to kept it in the family for her father's memory. That battle was called HELL ON EARTH TO THE 1ST MARINES,A lot of good marines where lost their for no reason.Thanks for sharing. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted March 5, 2014 Share #25 Posted March 5, 2014 Philip. A very nice tribute. Thank you for posting. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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