Private First Class (PFC) Dewitt Landry Dietrich Jr., United States Marine Corps Reserve, Service Number: 505161

Early Life

Dewitt Landry Dietrich Jr. was born on 15 June 1925 in Pen Argyl, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. His nickname was “Dee”. His father, Dewitt L. Dietrich Sr., born 12 September 1900 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, died in May 1978 in Darby, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was a School Principal. His mother, Gladys Olive Bond, was born on 28 December 1903 in Pennsylvania and died in July 1984 in Prospect Park, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Dewitt’s parents were married (unknown date/location). Dewitt was the younger of two sons in the family.

Military

Dewitt Landry Dietrich Jr. entered the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on 23 November 1942 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He saw combat on Roi Namur in the Marshall Islands. From October 1943 until the time of his death, he was assigned to Company “A”, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, operating in the Pacific Theater.

The 24th Marine Regiment was activated at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California on 26 March 1943. All three battalions were organized at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina prior to activation of the Regimental Headquarters. 1st Battalion, 24th Marines formed on 19 October 1942; 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines on 20 January 1943; 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines on 1 February 1943. In August of that same year the regiment was attached to the newly created 4th Marine Division.

The regiment began movement to the combat zone in January 1944 when it sailed from San Diego, California for the enemy held Marshall Islands. The first combat assignment for the regiment was to take part in the seizure of Roi-Namur, twin islands in the Kwajalein Atoll. On 1 February, the regiment assaulted Namur. The 2d and 3d Battalions led the attack. On moving inland the regiment met strong resistance. Second Battalion suffered especially heavy casualties, primarily due to the explosion of an enemy ammunition dump. The island was completely wrested from the Japanese by the following day. The 24th Marines reembarked and sailed for Hawaii two days later. While stationed there, 24th Marines took part in the preparations for the invasion of the Mariana Islands.

Saipan was the first objective of the Mariana Island Campaign for the regiment. The 24th Marines were originally placed in reserve. However, heavy fighting on the day of the landing, 15 June 1944, forced the call-up of the regiment. 24th Marines went ashore that afternoon joining other Marine units from the 2nd Marine Division and 4th Marine Divisions in pushing inland. The Japanese stubbornly resisted the invading Americans until 9 July when the island was declared secure. (Academy Award-winning actor Lee Marvin was a member of "I" Company, 24th Marines, and was seriously wounded in the assault against a Japanese salient on 18 June 1944.)

Death and Burial

Dewitt Landry Dietrich Jr. was Killed in Action on 8 July 1944 on Saipan in the Marianas Islands. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal. Initially buried on Saipan, he was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, Section: 12, Site: 7419 on 10 January 1949.

Sources

https://www.fold3.com/memorial/638872822/dietrich-dewitt-landre-jr-pfc

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26999341

https://www.newspapers.com/image/53192587/?match=1&clipping_id=127383128

https://www.naval-history.net/WW2UScasaaDB-USMCbyNameD.htm

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1089/?name=dewitt_dietrich&count=50&name_x=1_1

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/251268:3147

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/65797:2324

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24th_Marine_Regiment_(United_States)

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the faller’s name and read his/her story.

If you have any details, photos or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on my name. CDR Robert Mulvanny – redandbon@outlook.com Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars.

Dietrich, Dewitt Landry, Jr., PFC