Born: October 16, 1920
Campaigns Served: Namur, Saipan, Tinian (wounded), Iwo Jima
Highest Rank Attained: Corporal
Decorations: Silver Star with Gold Star, Purple Heart
Philadelphia native Edward DuBeck enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, at the age of 21. "Everyone else was going," he said in a 2010 interview. "No idea, really [why I joined the Marines]. It was the first thing that popped into my mind." After completing boot camp at Parris Island - a "pain in the rear" - he was assigned as a heavy machine gunner in Company D, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced). In 1943, his company became part of the First Battalion, 24th Marines.
With Dog Company:
DuBeck landed on the island of Namur in the Kwajalein atoll on February 1, 1944. He and his crew lived through a day of brutal combat - but it was the night that worried them most. Stories of Japanese infiltrators and banzai charges were well known even to these relatively green Marines. Sure enough, after night fell, DuBeck could see shadowy forms creeping towards the Marine foxholes. He charged his heavy Browning and opened fire. The shadows dropped, but more took their place.
DuBeck's platoon leader, First Lieutenant James Donovan, sent an angry message to the gunner. "There aren't any Japs out there, and that night shooting is liable to get you killed by someone mistaking you for a Jap."
DuBeck replied tersely, "I am shooting Japs, sir." He kept tracking the enemy figures, as his lieutenant muttered something about the young PFC being "trigger happy."
The next day, Donovan desended on DuBeck's position, prepared to give him unshirted hell for his lack of fire control. Much to the lieutenant's surprise, "forty cold Japanese sprawled in the grotesque stillness brought on by sudden death" lay in front of DuBeck's gun. Edward DuBeck received a Silver Star medal for his actions.
Edward DuBeck wearing the Silver Star medal.
With Able Company:
DuBeck was reassigned to Able Company in March, 1944, when the weapons company was dissolved. DuBeck earned a promotion to corporal after Saipan, where he led a heavy machine gun squad.
While landing on Tinian, DuBeck's machine gun was hit by enemy fire and destroyed. Simultaneously, the leader of a nearby rifle squad was wounded and put out of action (possibly Corporal Donald Hart). DuBeck immediately took charge of the rifle squad and led it in an assault on a Japanese pillbox; the citation for his Silver Star would read "His leadership was responsible for knocking out this pocket of enemy resistance." Shortly thereafter, DuBeck was hit in the hand by a piece of Japanese shrapnel.
To read newspaper reports of DuBeck's exploits, click here.
DuBeck was back in command of a machine gun squad when the company landed on Iwo Jima. Again, his conduct was exemplary, and he received an official commendation for his actions of February 24, 1945.
Edward DuBeck survived the battle of Iwo Jima, and was honorably discharged on November 6, 1945. Today, he resides in Bridesburg, Pennsylvania.
Corporal DuBeck, hands in pockets, after the battle of Iwo Jima.
In October 2009, VFW Post #2 in Philadelphia named their canteen in honor of DuBeck.
Special thanks to Shane Hickey, DuBeck's grandson, for providing the documents, pictures, and information on this page.
Edward DuBeck was interviewed for the Veterans History Project on January 31, 2010. For a video of his interview, click here. [Note: video only works with Windows Media Player or suitable Apple Quicktime converter. If you are on a Mac, please use Safari to view the video.]