William D. Halyburton, Jr.
| William David Halyburton Jr. | |
|---|---|
PhM2 William Halyburton Jr., U.S. Navy Reserve
Medal of Honor recipient |
|
| Born |
August 2, 1924 Canton, North Carolina |
| Died | May 10, 1945 (aged 20) Okinawa, Japan |
| Place of burial | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Pharmacist's Mate Second Class |
| Unit | 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II • Battle of Okinawa |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal |
William David Halyburton Jr. (October 2, 1924 – May 10, 1945) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman who was killed in action during World War II while assigned to a Marine Corps rifle company. He was awarded the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, posthumously, for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Born on August 2, 1924, in Canton, North Carolina, Halyburton attended Canton Presbyterian Church before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina where he graduated from New Hanover High School. He entered seminary at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, but left to enlist in the U.S. Naval Reserve on August 4, 1943.
He completed recruit training at the Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, and was promoted to seaman second class in the fall. Remaining in the area, he attended the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps School and was rated a pharmacist's mate third class upon graduation. He studied at other training centers and was advanced to pharmacist's mate second class on August 1, 1944. After completing the Fleet Marine Force Field Medical Service School at Camp Pendleton, California for combat field training, he departed on December 14 for the Pacific war zone on board the transport USS General M. M. Patrick and joined the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
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