4th Marine Division Uniform, WIA at Saipan 76 Years Ago Today

[patrick_usmc]

This uniform belonged to Nicholas J. Todaro, who enlisted on December 12, 1942, at Syracuse, New York.

 

The muster rolls are kind of spotty, but from what I can tell, he was a private with Battery "B", 4th Special Weapons Battalion, 4th Marine Division in July of 1943. By January of 1944 he had made Private First Class, and is listed as having served in the "battle of Ennugarret, and Namur, Kwajelein Atoll, Marshall Islands". His MOS at this time was "521", which I find listed as "Basic [Miscellaneous]" online. Does anybody know what exactly that means?

 

In April, 1944, he's listed as a PFC with Battery "D", 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines, 4th Marine Division, and an MOS of "606", which I find listed as "Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Crewman". On June 27, 1944, 76 years ago today, he was wounded in action while serving on Saipan, still with Battery "D", 2/14. After coming home, it looks like he got a couple weeks of furlough, and then spent the rest of the war stateside. 

 

I haven't been able to get his casualty card yet, but I'm looking forward to getting it and his full record. 

 

His uniform only came with one rank insignia on the sleeve, which I understand was implemented as a cost-saving measure. The EGAs look to be some kind of an economical version, though I'm not sure of the details on them. His name is stemped in one sleeve, and handwritten in the other. 

 

I'm very pleased to be the caretaker of this uniform!

[GMPETE]

Congratulations on a nice uniform. 

The following details the circumstances and action in which your Marine was likely wounded.  It is excerpted from my own work in progress supplemeted with relevant day of the official report:

 

"Breakout from NAFUTAN – 26- 27 June

While occupying positions near Aslito Airfield, the 14th Marines were frequently engaged by groups of Japanese soldiers coming up from Nafutan Peninsula to the south.  This often happened at night.  Nafutan was supposed to be ‘closed off’ by elements of the U.S. Army’s 27th Division, but insufficient manpower, difficult terrain, and a larger than reported enemy presence forced the soldiers to stretch their lines too thin to prevent the Japanese from passing through them north into the artillery positions. 

            In one instance, low on food and water, Captain Sasaki of the 317th Independent Infantry Battalion, 47th Independent Mixed Brigade, issued orders for a fighting withdrawal from Nafutan in an attempt to reach the Brigade headquarters on a feature called Hill 500.  Under cover of night on June 26 and 27, Sasaki’s force numbering some 500 men slipped through the army lines, split into several groups and headed north.  One group succeeded in destroying American aircraft at captured Aslito field, while another ran into the artillery positions of the14th Marines, set up between Aslito and Hill 500.  In the ensuing battle the Marines sustained 33 casualties and the Japanese force 143 killed."

 

DIARY- SAIPAN OPERATION    27 June, 1944

At 0115 condition red was passed.  Bombs were droppd on Aslito Airport.  VMO-4 received 4 casualties.  At 0640 one enemy sniper was killed by the 1st Battalion, 14th Marines.  Japanese units that broke through the lines at NAFUTAN Point infiltrated the regimental area.  As a result, 12 enemy were killed in the 3rd Battalion area and 130 enemy killed in H&S, 2nd Battalion area.  In this action, 1st Battalion 14th Marines had 2 enlisted wounded.  2nd Battalion, 14th Marines had 2 enlisted killed and 8 enlisted wounded.  3rd Battalion, 14th Marines had 2 enlisted killed and 19 enlisted wounded.

 

The following link is to a thread about a another Marine wounded in the same action.  If link breaks search 'Kachadorian'.

 

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/287750-usmc-hbt-shirt/&tab=comments#comment-2408222

 

Regarding his previous combat in the Marshall Islands, Ennugarret (codename: Abraham) was the closest reef island to Namur.  These islands were captured in advance of the main attack on Roi and Namur to deny them to the enemy and to emplace Marine artillery on several to support the invasion.   

 

Please share whatever you learn as your research progresses.  Good Luck!

 

 

[patrick_usmc]

Wow! Thank you for that fantastic information! I really appreciate it.

 

I’ll be sure to keep this updated as I learn more.

[patrick_usmc]

Here's a nice update to this thread. with many thanks to forum member thomask1952 for providing this wonderful information.

 

First, a photo of Mr. Todaro in his uniform. 

 

 

[patrick_usmc]

It appears that he was wounded twice, once at Roi-Namur, and again at Saipan. The casualty card confirms local newspaper reports, in which he described his injuries.

It's incredible that he survived his Saipan wound, but especially incredible when you consider that that wound saved him from Iwo Jima.  

 

 

 

 

 

[patrick_usmc]

And I was very happy to see that Mr. Todaro enjoyed a long life after the war. He passed away at the age of 99, on September 24, 2020, three months after I originally started this thread. 

Here's his obituary, may he rest in peace. I'm honored to be looking after his uniform.  

 

https://www.oswegocountynewsnow.com/obituaries/nicholas-j-todaro/article_902b89c6-01ba-11eb-aef8-63a8caa2f038.html

[GMPETE]

That is super additional research and info from thomask1952. 

The newspaper account of his wounding on Saipan is consistent with the Sasaki breakout from Nafutan.  I looked through the 14th Marines Redbook quickly and did not find Pfc. J. Mariano  but I could have missed him in there somewhere or else he was a replacement or transfer.   I'll take another pass through and see if he turns up. 

Great to have those hometown newspapers!

Thanks very much for posting.   Updates are rare and always great to see...

[patrick_usmc]

Glad you appreciated it! Thanks for the information on the breakout from Nafutan, I'm glad to have a fuller picture of that and know that this lines up. 

 

Thanks for looking through there! I've also been searching for a Mariano. Looking through the July 1944 muster rolls (the last one Todaro is shown on), 2nd Battalion has only one Marine named "Mariano". Francis F. Mariano was in Headquarters and Service Company, and after digging a little bit, I found out he lived about 25 miles from Syracuse and apparently went to Syracuse University. I am very confident this is the Marine. 

Seeing as the article says "Mariens", I wouldn't be surprised if "J. Mariano" is a typo, or perhaps just a simple misremembering on part of Mr. Todaro or the reporter.

 

https://www.oneidadispatch.com/2008/05/21/frank-f-mariano/  

[Maryfran]

Hi there.  I believe you are looking for my father Francis Mariano from Canastota, NY.  He is the one who Saved NickTodaro.  My father was recognized for his heroic act saving  Mr. Todaro's life and Mr. Todaro was there in person to meet my father.  It was a special evening for all.  

[jacoby]

Awesome!