Namesake:
Sergeant Darrell Samuel Cole
On August 25 ,1941, Cole enlisted in the Marine Corps for
the duration of the National Emergency, and following a boot
training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was appointed to
the Field Music School for training as a Marine Corps Field
Music, the equivalent of a bugler. Completing instruction, he
was transferred to the First Marine Regiment, First Marine
Division, and on August 7, 1942, reached the shores of
Guadalcanal for the first American offensive of World War II.
Not too happy in his role of field music when he had
joined a fighting outfit to fight and after acquitting himself
meritoriously as a machine gunner in the absence of the regular
gunner, he applied for a change in rating, but was refused due
to the shortage of buglers. Cole completed his first overseas
tour of duty and returned to the United States in February 1943,
where he joined First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, then
forming as a part of the Fourth Marine Division at Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina. When the unit moved to California he again asked
for relief as a Field Music and for permission to perform line
duties, but was again refused due to the shortage of buglers in
the Marine Corps.
During the first engagement of the Fourth Division at
Roi-Namur in the Kwajalein Atoll, Cole, again forsaking his
bugle, went into action as a machine-gunner. Four months later,
when the Division stormed ashore at Saipan, he had been assigned
to a machine-gun unit. Because of his proven ability in combat,
he was designated a machine gun section leader. During the
battle when his squad leader was killed, Cole, although wounded,
assumed command of the entire squad and acquitted himself in
such a manner to be awarded the Bronze Star Medal for "...his
resolute leadership, indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious
determination in the face of terrific opposition..." , He
was also awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received in
action.
A few days after the battle of Saipan, Cole, again led his
squad ashore in the invasion of the neighboring islands of
Tinian, where he continued to live up to his growing reputation
as "The Fighting Field Music."
After the Marianas campaigns he again requested a change
of rating and this time his request was approved and he was
redesignated Corporal "line" and was subsequently
promoted to Sergeant in November 1944. On February 19, 1945,
Sergeant Cole led his machine gun section ashore in the D-Day
assault of Iwo Jima. Moving forward with the initial assault
wave, their advance was halted by a hail of fire from two
Japanese emplacements which Sergeant Cole personally destroyed
with hand grenades. His unit continued to advance until pinned
down for a second time by enemy fire from three Japanese gun
emplacements. One of these emplacements was silenced by Cole's
machine guns, but then jammed. Armed only with a pistol and one
hand grenade, Sergeant Cole made a one-man attack against the
two remaining positions. Twice he returned to his own lines for
additional grenades and continued the attack under fierce enemy
fire until he had succeeded in destroying the Japanese strong
point. Returning to his own squad, he was instantly killed by an
enemy grenade. By his one-man attack and heroic self-sacrifice,
Sergeant Cole enabled his company to move forward against
fortifications and attain their ultimate objective.
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