Francis J. Pierce
| Francis Junior Pierce | |
|---|---|
 
Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Francis Junior Pierce
|
|
| Born |
December 7, 1924 Earlville, Iowa |
| Died | December 21, 1986 (aged 62) Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Michigan National Guard
|
| Years of service | 1941 - 1945 (Navy) 1949 - 1950 (National Guard) |
| Rank |
Pharmacist’s Mate First Class (Navy) Second Lieutenant (National Guard) |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal (2) |
| Other work | Police officer |
Francis Junior Pierce (December 7, 1924–December 21, 1986) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman in World War II who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty while assigned to the Marine Corps during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Pierce was born on December 7, 1924 and grew up in Delaware County, Iowa. A week after his 17th birthday (the day Pearl Harbor was attacked), he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After his initial training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, he attended the Hospital Corps School at Portsmouth, Virginia. Afterwards, he served at the naval hospital in Parris Island, South Carolina until August 1942. he was then transferred to the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Field Medical Service School at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for field training with the Marine Corps.
In January 1944, he was assigned to the 4th Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California where he was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment of the division as a Fleet Marine Force hospital corpsman. He participated in numerous military campaigns including Saipan and Tinian. During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, he helped in caring for and protecting wounded Marines and became one of four navy corpsman assigned to a Marine unit to receive the Medal for heroic actions during the battle; he was initially awarded the Navy Cross for actions on March 15, 1945 and the Silver Star Medal for actions in which he was wounded twice on March 16, 1945.
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