USMC Medal of Honor recipients
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1st Bn, 28th Marines |
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The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
CORPORAL TONY STEIN
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company A, First Battalion, Twenty-Eighth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in actio against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, in the Volcano Island, 19 February 1945. The first man of his unit to be on station after hitting the beach in the initial assault, Corporal Stein, armed with a personally improvised aircraft-type weapon, provided rapid covering fire as the remainder of his platoon attempted to move into position and, when his comrades were stalled by a concentrated machine-gun and mortar barrage, gallantly stood upright and exposed himself to the enemy's view, thereby drawing the hostile fire to his own person and enabling him to observe the location of the furiously blazing hostile guns. Determined to neutralize the strategically placed weapons, he boldly charged the enemy pillboxes on by one and succeeded in killing twenty of the enemy during the furious single-handed assault. Cool and courageous under the merciless hail of exploding shells and bullets which fell on all sides, he continued to deliver the fire of his skillfully improvised weapon at a tremendous rate of speed which rapidly exhausted his ammunition. Undaunted, he removed his helmet and shoes to expedite his movements on ran back to the beach for additional ammunition, making a total of eight trips under intense fire and carrying or assisting a wounded man back each time. Despite the unrelenting savagery and confusion of battle, he rendered prompt assistance to his platoon whenever the unit was in position, directing the fire of a half-track against a stubborn pillbox until he had effected the ultimate destruction of the Japanese fortification, Later in the day, although his weapon was twice shot form his hands, he personally covered the withdrawal of his platoon to the company position. Stouthearted and indomitable, Corporal Stein, by his aggressive initiative, sound judgment and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of terrific odds, contributed materially to the fulfillment of his mission, and his outstanding valor throughout the bitter hours of conflict sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
/S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN
3rd Marine Division
4th Marine Division
5th Marine Division
Berry
Caddy
Chambers
Cole
Dunlap
Gray
Harrell
Herring
Jacobson
Julian
Labelle
Leims
Lucas
Lummus
Martin
McCarthy
Phillips
Pierce
Ruhl
Sigler
Stein
Walsh
Watson
Wahlen
Williams
Williams USN
Willis
Marine Corps University Books online, Revolutionary War through Afghanistan
3rd MarDiv on Iwo Jima
4th MarDiv on Iwo Jima
5th MarDiv on Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima Medals of Honor recipients
Interactive map Northern Iwo Jima
Interactive map Southern Iwo Jima
Books and Iwo Jima related links
2025 Raymond C Backstrom All Rights reserved
Pages updated 28 March 2025
E-mail rbackstr2000@yahoo.com