Justice M. Chambers

Justice Marion Chambers
Colonel Justice M. Chambers, Medal of Honor recipient
Nickname(s)	Jumping Joe
Born	(1908-02-02)February 2, 1908 Huntington, West Virginia
Died	July 29, 1982(1982-07-29) (aged 74)
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1928-1930 (USN), 1930-1946 (USMC)
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	3rd Battalion, 25th Marines
Battles/wars	World War II *Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards	Medal of Honor (1945) Silver Star Legion of Merit Purple Heart
Other work	Staff advisor for the Senate Armed Services Committee

Colonel Justice Marion Chambers (February 2, 1908–July 29, 1982) was a United States Marine Corps officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions in World War II during the Iwo Jima campaign.

Chambers was born February 2, 1908 in Huntington, West Virginia. He went to school there and completed three years at Marshall College in Huntington. He attended George Washington University for two years and National University, both in Washington, D.C., where he obtained his law degree.

Following the completion of two years enlistment in the Naval Reserve in 1930, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve as a private. He was commissioned in 1932 and continued his studies toward promotion. He was a major, attending summer camp, when Washington's 5th Battalion was called up in 1940. He was well known for the enthusiasm and energy with which he trained his men.

Serving with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Chambers received the Silver Star for evacuating the wounded and directing the night defense of a battalion aid station on Tulagi, where he himself was a patient already seriously wounded. Then "Major" Chambers' wounding would be later mentioned in "Pua Pua" written by Oscar Brand and released on his album "Tell it to the Marines."

He commanded the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in the Roi-Namur campaign. On Saipan he suffered blast concussion, but returned to lead his battalion there and on Tinian. He had trained his command so thoroughly and his leadership was so conspicuous that he was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat "V."

Lieutenant Colonel Chambers commanded the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines in the Iwo Jima landing on February 19, 1945. His sector was beneath high ground from which heavy enemy fire raked the whole landing beach. "Capture of the high ground," the Medal of Honor recommendation stated, "…was essential to the success of the D-Day operations. It is an established fact that had it not been done, it would have constituted a most serious threat to the subsequent operations of the 5th Amphibious Corps."