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MSgt George Thomas Ramsey Jr., USMC Veteran of China, WWII, & Korean War


0811gysgt
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MSgt George Thomas Ramsey Jr. Enlisted in the US Marine Corps at Parris Island, SC in 1928. He served duty at sea and then in Shanghai, China during 1930-32. He was awarded the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal M.No. 1356 and Yangtze Service Medal M.No. 3876 for his first hitch in China.

 

He participated in defense of the International Settlement in Shanghai, China during the Sino-Japanese Incident from March-April 1932.

 

Interestingly, he was later awarded Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal M.No. 4358 as a replacement for Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal M.No. 1356, due to losing it.

 

He continued his service stateside and at sea and then served a second hitch in Shanghai, China with Co. B 1/4 and Co. E 2/4 during 1937-39. He was awarded the early issue of the Marine Corps China Service Medal #300 for his second hitch in China.

 

He returned stateside and was serving at the US Marine Corps Sea School at Portsmouth, VA, most likely as an instructor, when Pearl Harbor was attacked during December 1941. Three days later he was off to the Pacific and served in American Samaoa and then the Gilbert Island campaign with the Second Defense Battalion Special Weapons Section.

 

He served at Tarawa with the Second Marine Division and was wounded, most likely during Japanese bombing raids on Tarawa. He was awarded a Certificate of Commendationby the Second Marine Division Commanding General for his Service on Tarawa. He was later awarded a Purple Heart.

 

He continued his service in the Pacific until late 1944, continuing to serve with the Fifth Marine Amphibious Corps as 1stSgt, SgtMaj, and briefly as a temporary Warrant Officer. He reverted back to the rank of Sergeant Major at the end of WWII.

 

He continued to serve stateside in the Marine Corps in between WWII and the Korean War.

 

He served with the 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division at the Inchon landing, capture of Seoul, and at the Chosin Reservoir.

 

He returned at the rank of Master Sergeant during September 1955.

 

He was awarded sixth awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal No. 94364.

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I was surprised not to find anything on his Purple Heart in his file. It is listed as an award on his awards page, but there was no reference of where or how he was wounded. I also know that he rated a star on his Pacific Campaign for the Gilbert Island Campaign, but I did not see where he wanted the second star, unless it was for his time at American Samoa early in the war.

 

He was awarded six stars on his Korean Service Medal. He later also received the Republic of Korea Presidental Unit Citation with one oak leaf cluster.

 

After retirement he became a Trooper with the Iowa State Patrol.

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Nice grouping! One of the few that was their for 1932 and then 1937 Battles of Shanghai. Do you happen to know what date he was awarded his China Service medal.

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Nice group

 

He's not on any of the casualty lists WWII or after...while they are incomplete, possibly injured in China and received the medal retroactively?

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Nice group

 

He's not on any of the casualty lists WWII or after...while they are incomplete, possibly injured in China and received the medal retroactively?

Thank You Brig, yes, kind of puzzling that there is nothing specific to the Award of the Purple Heart in his record book. In the others that I have seen, there is almost always a letter of transmittal for that award.

 

Possibly, if he had a separate Officer Qualification Record for the brief time that he was a Warrant Officer?

 

These are the clips from his 1946 record that show he definitely was awarded a Purple Heart toward the end, or just after WWII.

 

I never considered being wounded in pre-war China as a possibility.

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Fantastic, Rocco -- with a great history as well! Don't see many complete Marine groups similar to this one anymore. Can't think of a better caretaker than you.

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