Iam looking for information about my uncle. He was awarded the silver star in world war ii. I would like to find out how and were the he got it. He was with Co.F 2ndBatt.6th Marines 1stMarines Div. He was KIA on Saipan 6/16/1944. The other battles was Guadalcanal,Tarawa. I would like info on how to find infor or citation were to go on line to get this infor. Thanks you Bulldog1968

Are you sure it was 1st marine Div.

1st div battle credits are Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, Okinawa

6th Regt. should have been 2nd Div. whose's battle credits are Guadalcanal,Southern Solomans, Tarawa, Saipan (15 June to 24 July 1944), Tinian, Okinawa

2nd Div seems to meet the Saipan and 6/16/1944 info you cite.

Was he a Costa? Robert A. or Antone F. ??

Name?

He was with the 2nd Battion 6th Marines. His name was John Peter Costa. KIA on June 16 1944 on Saipan. If you have any info on him please let me know. I don't know if he was awarded on saipan or Guadalcanal or Tarawa. Thank you any one.

Ok, Here's the best I've been able to come up with so far. I am working backwards from his KIA date which would on the second day of the landing. I will list a few details at the end of this post in case any names and locations/events pop up later as you work on this. I'm afraid there is no official list for Silver/Bronze star Awards but the late Col. Al Gleim compiled a 3 volume list of Silver Star winners and is supposed to be about 80% complete. I have been unable to get more info on it, however.

The exploits of the 2/6 were immortalized in the WWII classic novel, "Battle Cry", by Leon Uris. Although the characters were fictional, the movements of the 2/6 were historically accurate and were based on Uris' own experiences in the 2/6 during WWII as a PFC.

There are two books that may be of interest to you:
Heritage Years: Second Marine Division
Category: Marine Corps History
Description: Since 1941, the 2nd Marine Division has written a record of unparalleled success through their courage, spirit, dedication and above all, their sacrifice. This historical anthology of history starts off in the jungles of the Solomons. Heritage Years gives an upfront and personal view of the division's record on Tarawa, Saipan-Tinian, and Okinawa. Included are one of a kind photos of the division's training at Hawaii, New Zealand and Saipan, plus the post war years of 1946-1949 in Camp Lejeune. Written by Bill Banning.

A Volume II is also available, which continues the history of the 2nd Marine Division, written by Art Sharp, former "Follow Me" editor. Displays the triumphs they shared through a written history with hundreds of photographs. Features Second Marine Division Association history and information, past presidents, past reunions, Second Marine Division Lineage, Unit Citation, Medal of Honor recipients, Distinguished Service Award recipients, special feature stories written by Second Marine Division members, biographies and an association roster.

and MOST INTERESTINGLY:
I found an article on the web promoting a book :
OPEN FIRE by Roy William Roush
Who served with Co E 2/6th in Guadacanal and Tarawa and transferred to Co. F just before Saipan. It seems he may be still living at this time.

SAIPAN FIGHT RECOUNTED IN MARINE'S BOOK.
Roy William Roush's book, ``Open Fire,''

Chapter 29: D-Day On Saipan
Our Company Leads The First Wave In At The Extreme Left Flank
An Amtrac Sinks With All Hands
My Third Beach-Head
Corporal Keiningham Destroys A Jap Tank
One Of Our Spotter Planes Is Shot Down
Lieutenant Bird Amputates His Own Leg
The First Night - A Real Nightmare
The Great Banzai Charge
Command A Japanese Machine Gun Nest Alone
Battle Fatigue
Chapter 30: The Second Day
I Go To Bring Up Our Tanks
A Jap Bugler Blows Charge For Another Attack
There's Too Damn Many Japs Out There
Corporal Keiningham Distinguishes Himself Again And Wins Another Medal
That Big Ole Ugly Marine Was Me
The Biggest Tank Battle In The Pacific War

HERE ARE THE GENERAL EVENTS SURROUNDING THE 15/16 June 1944.

Saipan landing 15 Jun 1944
2d 6th marines Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Raymond L. Murray. Composed of companies E,F,G,H
2/6th Marines assigned to land First Wave (Initial Assualt Force) Beaches Red 2 and Red 3 (Left Flank) assualt landing craft drift 400 yards in current and land mostly Red 1 and Red 2, bunching up and congesting the left flank. Left flank advance line for day 1 is code named O-1.
On the Red Beaches, the 2d and 3d Battalions of the 6th Marines encountered stiff resistance and suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment.
6th Regiment could force only a shallow, 75 to 100 yard beachhead across the coastal road. Company F of the 2d Battalion already had elements on the O-1 line, however, because this unit had landed north of its assigned beach between Company F (along the beach) and Company E existed a gap which was subsequently filled by Company I of the 3d Battalion. Japanese attack force infiltrates thru gap and attacks rear area.
About noon, two Japanese tanks moved from covered positions to the north, along the beach road, and through the lines of Company F, 6th Marines. Apparently not realizing where they were, they stopped to have a look around, the leading tank even "unbuttoning" its turret. At this point, bazookas and AT grenades from Company F converged on the surprised visitors and destroyed them.
At 1400, the 2d Battalion command post received a direct hit from a Japanese mortar shell, injuring Major Howard J. Rice, who had taken over the unit when Lieutenant Colonel Murray was wounded. An observer, Lieutenant Colonel William A. Kengla, took command pending the arrival of Major Leroy P. Hunt, Jr., at 1600.
Shortly before dusk, men of Companies F and I, along the left of the 6th Marines' lines, observed large groups of Japanese streaming down from the hills onto the coastal flats well to the north of the regiment's lines.
A precaution, taken by the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, a strongpoint was established on a small hummock about 75 yards forward of the lines.
The first attack against the left flank took place at about 2200 was a probing attack. Striking along the coast road against Companies F and I.
DAY TWO 6/16/44
At 0300, after a series of reconnaissance-in-force actions by the enemy, the final sustained effort of the night began. A Japanese bugler75 sounded a loud, clear call on the tense night air, and with a waving of flags, loud screams, and a brandishing of swords, the attack was launched. Men of Companies F and I opened with accurate, devastating fire.
By 0545, the Japanese pressure reached a peak; two Marine 37mm guns near the beach were knocked out and their crews forced back. Although the main positions held, a false report reached the 6th Marines' command post to the effect that Company F's lines along the beach had been forced back about 50 yards. This erroneous report, probably fostered by the withdrawal of the two 37mm crews and the infiltration of small enemy groups to the regimental command post, had no basis in fact. Five medium tanks from Company B, 2d Tank Battalion, arrived and under the fusillade, the enemy effort withered and died.
With the coming of daylight, it was discovered that several small harassing and infiltrating groups had penetrated to rear areas. Mopping-up patrols from the 6th Marines' scout-sniper platoon immediately set about the task of finding and eliminating the enemy groups.
During 16 June, the 6th Marines (on the left, pivot flank) held the same general position, consolidating and reorganizing front lines. In the afternoon, remaining elements of the regimental weapons company (75mm halftracks and 37mm guns) came ashore and were incorporated into defensive plans. Only sporadic activity (mostly mopping-up of Japanese infiltrators and by-passed groups) occurred in the 6th Marines' zone during the day and early evening.
Major LeRoy P. Hunt, Jr., now commanded the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines.
Colonel Walter J. Stuart, commanding the 2d Marines, assumed command--on General Watson's order--of a composite group including the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, and the 3d Battalion, 2d Marines. These two units were located along the beach on the division left: the former on the front lines, the latter just behind in reserve. After taking over command at 1400, Colonel Stuart ordered the two battalions to switch positions (because of the fact that the 2d Battalion, 6th Marines, had endured the brunt of the previous night's counterattacks). This exchange was accomplished prior to dark.

I can't publish a hotlink by forum rules but some mods will allow a non active written link so if you want to read the full details:
+++http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Saipan
(remove the +++)

Were can I go to get a list of KIA's on June 16 1944 on Saipan? Company F 2nd Battlion 6th Marines Regt.2nd Marine Division. Thanks
Bulldog1968

That can be a challenge. I don't know exactly where or at what detail any surviving records would exist in. The Company report went to Bn, was compiled and sent to regimental level, on to divisional. and so on. At some point the USMC would have decided which to keep. At some point, years later, any surviving documents would have fallen under NATIONAL ARCHIVE control. of course, copies of the documents may have been retained by individuals and added to private or local collections.

I have done a quick check and the National Archives (NARA) in their on-line catalog list that the sectional most likely to contain something (if they have it) would be SECTION:
127.9 Records of Marine Units
1914-49
Textual Records: Records of Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, including general correspondence, 1942-46; and "geographical" operation file ("Area File"), 1940-46. Geographical and subject files of the 2d Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, 1933-42. General correspondence, 1st-6th Marine Divisions, 1941-46. Organization records of ground combat units, 1941-46. Correspondence and reports of Headquarters, 2d Marine Division, 1942-49. Correspondence of the 1st, 3d, and 10th Marine Defense Battalions, 1943-44. Issuances, 1914, and correspondence, 1917- 19, of the 5th Marine Regiment. Administrative records of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 1942-47. Aircraft action reports of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 1944-47. Records of the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, consisting of correspondence and reports, 1941-45; and administrative file, issuances, and miscellaneous personnel reports, 1946. Selected general correspondence files, 1933-34, and logbooks, 1931-34, of Marine Aircraft Squadrons VS-14M and VS-15M.

HOWEVER, these are not on-line searchable. You would have to travel there or hire a researcher who lives there to look for you and can get expensive considereing there is no way to know if any of the records contain the detail you need.


Fort. Levenworth Command College has a nice on-line searchable database
+++http://cgsc.leavenworth.army.mil/carl/contentdm/home.htm
(remove the +++)

and has several docs pertaining to the Marines during OPERATION FORAGER (invasion of saipan) which may be viewed in pdf format but they are scanned paper documents and will be time consuming.

The other option is to check books dealing with the period and check the bibliography sources they used, very often they will list the official documents they got info from and their location.

for example, the hyperwar website Saipan causalty page
+++http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Saipan/USMC-M-Saipan-III.html
(remove the +++)

list the 2/6th Marines casualties as
2d Bn 6 Officer KIA 120 EM KIA 13 Officer WIA 335 EM WIA

and in the bibo, cites:
Marine casualty figures furnished by Marine Records Section, HQMC, on 23Nov49 for period 15 June-9 July 1944
as the source.

Local libraries, newspaper accounts etc may be helpful. I assume you know where his family was living and he is buried. That location would be the best start for local searches. Most of those docs may be micro-filmed by now.

EXTRA:
Do you have his service number? I have come across some new stuff, which I'm going thru at the moment, but I have located his service number. With that, you should be able to request files.

No I don't have his service number. What do you have so far?

The only other thing I have is he was born in Champaign Illinois on Feb 4 1920. Three brothers in the Army at the same time.

John Peter Costa
DOB 02/04/1920
DOD 06/16/1944
USMCR
PFC
Service # 421569

Buried at ST. Mary's Cemetery
612 E Park St.
Champaign Il

The census in 1930 list the family as:
Name Age
Peter Costa 42
Sena* Costa 40
Sarah Costa 23
Michael Costa 21
Margarette Costa 18
Anthony Costa 16
Joseph Costa 14
Thomas Costa 12
John Costa 10

* other sources has mother as Lena
census was handwritten, census transcription
could be mispelled.
Father was born in Italy
Mother in Iowa

The USMC files at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
were not touched by the 1973 fire. From their website surviving kin may request records.
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/
(this is a goverment site so I can post a hot link for it)

Here's a link to their brochure on finding info at NARA
http://www.archives.gov/resear...w2-participation.pdf


NARA holds some USMC data as I indicated in prior post.
In their catalog system it is section 127

here is a more detailed overview

Record Group 127--Records of the U.S. Marine Corps
RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE COMMANDANT

The Office of the Commandant general correspondence file, January 1939-June 1950 (738 ft.), contains one of the National Archives' largest collections of Marine Corps records from World War II. The series is arranged according to the ELLS-DRAN Filing System, the filing scheme long in use in the Corps. 12 Three classes of subjects yield information on Marine Corps casualties in the war:

1435 "DEATH CASUALTY" (6 ft.) is arranged by chronological blocks, thereunder by ELLS-DRAN subcategories (1435-10, "Casualty calls--Gratuity"; 1435-45, "Report of"; and 1435-55, "Statistics"), and thereunder chronologically by date of report or correspondence. The chronological blocks at the highest level of arrangement under 1435 are not always in order. The records, which are correspondence to the Office of the Commandant from units in the field, are accompanied by or consist of the following:

1. "Reports on Combat Casualties," which include unit designation; date and cause of casualty; person's name, rate, and serial number; diagnosis and prognosis; and disposition (name of cemetery for overseas burials).

2. "Casualty Reports" and "Reports of Death Casualty," which are arranged by unit (generally company) and include date of report; date and place of casualty; person's name, rank, and serial number; and organization.

3. "Declaration of Death-MIA," consisting of correspondence about circumstances and investigations regarding Marine personnel missing or missing in action.

4. Scattered reports on other casualty-related operations, such as evacuations of wounded personnel and "Casualty Assistance Calls" (stateside visits to dependents of deceased Marines)

Information in this file is good, and in some cases fairly detailed but it is not easy to find the name of a given individual. Knowing the date and location of a specific casualty is of less help than might be expected, because the records are arranged according to the dates of reports and these dates lag behind the dates of casualties by as much as a few weeks or as little as a few days. That lag seems to be dependent on the location of the combat action as well as on the usual pressures of war but it seems to decrease in 1944-45.

[For more information about the records described here, contact the Textual Archives Services Division, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740. Telephone: 30- 837-3510 Email: Contact NARA]

Unit histories may also be requested if you know the exact unit (which you do) and often contain battle details and General Order requests for citations and decorations.

I want to thank you very much on what you have find for me. The infor you have sent on Sunday is right on the money. All names and age are right. Cemetery is correct and Lena is the right name for the mother. Once again thanks and if you find out any more please let me know.
Bulldog1968