John P. Fardy

John Peter Fardy (August 15, 1922 – May 7, 1945) was a United States Marine who was killed in action during World War II.

John Peter Fardy was born in Chicago Illinois, on August 15, 1922.

He journeyed to Nouméa, New Caledonia, and was reassigned to the 27th Replacement Battalion, which was leaving to join the 1st Marine Division.

Educated in the schools of Chicago, he graduated from Leo High School in 1940.

He took a course in typing at the Fox Secretarial College the same year and entered the Illinois Institute of Technology the following year.

He majored in mechanical engineering but left after the first year.

He had been doing time study work previously, so he went to work at the Cornell Forge Company as a time study man and draftsman.

Inducted into the Marine Corps on May 8, 1943, he went through recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, upon completion of which he was assigned to the Japanese Language School at his own request.

He was promoted to private first class in July, about two weeks before the start of school.

After one month of attendance at the language school at Camp Elliott, San Diego, PFC.

Fardy was transferred to the Infantry Battalion where he was trained as an automatic rifleman.

Private First Class Fardy joined the 29th Replacement Battalion shortly before the unit left the United States on October 28, 1943.

Attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines upon his arrival at Goodenough Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, early in December 1943, PFC Fardy left with that unit about a week later for Nascing, Alatu, New Guinea.

The stay there was a short one also, for the 1st Marines left Finschaffen on Christmas Day 1943, for their December 26 landing on enemy-held Cape Gloucester, New Britain.

Within two months of the time he left his home shores, the former draftsman was involved in a battle for an enemy airdrome on an island rarely heard of before.

Following the Cape Gloucester operation, and the return of the 1st Marine Division to the Russell Islands for over three months training, the division left for Peleliu.

After practice landings at Guadalcanal, the division landed on the coral-studded, shadeless Peleliu.

PFC Fardy participated in the capture of the airport and the attack on the coral hills overlooking it before returning to the Russell Islands with his regiment in early October.

Promoted to corporal on December 21, 1944, the veteran of two campaigns became a squad leader as the reorganized division started training for the next operation.

The training ashore ended in February, and the Marines embarked aboard the ships that took them for practice landings at Baniki (Russell Islands), Guadalcanal, and Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands.

His heroic action, resulting in mortal wounds, on May 6, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa were recognized with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest honor.

The landing on Okinawa occurred on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, and the division's sweep across the island up to the northern tip was accomplished with comparative ease.

Later, Marines were moved south to help hard-pressed Army troops.

It was on May 6, 1945, when Company C was advancing against a strongly fortified, fanatically defended Japanese position that Cpl. Fardy's squad was suddenly brought under heavy small-arms fire.

Cpl. Fardy temporarily deployed his men along a convenient drainage ditch.

Shortly afterwards, an enemy hand grenade landed in the ditch, falling among the pinned-down Marines.

Instantly, the 22-year-old Corporal flung himself upon the grenade and absorbed the exploding charge with his own body.

Taken to a field hospital, Cpl. Fardy died the next day.

The Medal of Honor was presented to Corporal Fardy's parents at ceremonies conducted by the Marine Corps League in Chicago, September 15, 1946.

Reinterment services for Cpl. Fardy, with military honors by the Chicago Detachment of the Marine Corps League, were held on April 7, 1949, at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CORPORAL JOHN P. FARDY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN