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For conspicuous gallantry
and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the
call of duty as a squad leader serving with the Second
Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines, Sixth Marine Division, in
sustained combat operations against Japanese forces on Okinawa,
Ryukya Islands from 14 to 17 May 1945. On the first day,
Corporal Day rallied his squad and the remnants of another unit and led
them to a critical position forward of the front lines of Sugar Loaf
Hill. Soon thereafter, they came under an intense mortar and artillery
barrage that was quickly followed by a ferocious ground attack by some
forty Japanese soldiers. Despite the loss of one-half of his men,
Corporal Day remained at the forefront, shouting encouragement, hurling
hand grenades, and directing deadly fire, thereby repelling the
determined enemy. Reinforced by six men, he led his squad in repelling
three fierce night attacks but suffered five additional Marines killed
and one wounded, whom he assisted to safety.
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Upon hearing nearby
calls for corpsman assistance, Corporal Day braved heavy enemy
fire to escort four seriously wounded Marines, one at a time, to
safety. Corporal Day then manned a light machine gun, assisted
by a wounded Marine, and halted another night attack. In the
ferocious action, his machine gun was destroyed, and he suffered
multiple white phosphorous and fragmentation wounds. He
reorganized his defensive position in time to halt a fifth enemy
attack with devastating small arms fire. On three separated
occasions, Japanese soldiers closed to within a few feet of his
foxhole, but were killed by Corporal Day. During the second day,
the enemy conducted numerous unsuccessful swarming attacks
against his exposed position. When the attacks momentarily
subsided, over 70 enemy dead were counted around his position.
On the third day, a wounded and exhausted Corporal Day repulsed
the enemy's final attack, killing a dozen enemy soldiers at
close range. Having yielded no ground and with more than 100
enemy dead around his position, Corporal Day preserved the lives
of his fellow Marines and made a significant contribution to the
success of the Okinawa campaign. By his extraordinary heroism,
repeated acts of valor, and quintessential battlefield
leadership, Corporal Day inspired the efforts of his outnumbered
Marines to defeat a much larger enemy force, reflecting great
credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the
Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. | |
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