Name and Rank, Private First Class Richard Edward Kraus.
Unit/Placed in, 8th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, United States Marine Corps.
Richard was born approx. on 24 Nov., 1925 in Chicago, Illinois.
Father, August Kraus.
Mother, Hazel (Peters) Kraus.
Sister, Yvonne Kraus.
Richard entered the service from Minnesota with service number # 927914.
Richard E. Kraus was a Private First Class/Soldier in the United States Marine Corps.
Richard E. Kraus was Killed in Action on Oct. 3, 1944, at Peleliu, Palau Islands, when he want to evacuated wounded fellow Marines, the Japanese throw a hand grenade in their midst, Pfc. Kraus heroically flung himself upon the grenade and , covering it with his body, absorbed the full impact of the explosion and was instantly killed, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
He also was awarded with the Medal of Honor for this action.
And he is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County,
Minnesota, USA.
Thanks to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Kraus
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Private First Class Richard E. Kraus
United States Marine Corps Reserve
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Eighth Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Third Amphibious Corps, Fleet Marine Force, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleiu, Palau Islands, on 3 October 1944. Unhesitatingly volunteering for the extremely hazardous mission of evacuationg a wounded comrade from the front lines, Private First Class Kraus and three companions courageously made their way forward and successfully penetrated the lines for some distance before the enemy opened with an intense, devastating barrage of hand grenades which forced the stretcher party to take cover and subsquently abandon the mission. While returning to the rear, they observed two men approaching who appeared to be Marines and immediately demanded the password. When instead of answering, one of the two Japanese threw a hand grenade into the midst of the group, Private First Class Kraus heroically flung himself upon the grenade and, covering it with his body, absorbed the full impact of the explosion and was instantly killed. By his prompt action and great personal valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved the lives of his three companions, and his loyal spirit of self-sacrifice reflects the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his comrades.
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Private First Class Richard Edward Kraus, posthumous recipient of the Nation’s highest military tribute, the Medal of Honor, was killed in action during the World War II campaign on Peleliu Island on 3 October 1944. The award was presented to his mother on 2 August 1945, by Col Norman E. True, District Marine Officer for the Ninth Naval District.
