Corporal (CPL) Robert Nicholas Geil, United States Marine Corps Reserve, Service Number: 357966

Early Life

Robert Nicholas Geil was born on 17 July 1916 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. His father, Edward Thomas Geil, born 30 April 1891 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, died 17 January 1955 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, was a Cincinnati Fireman. His mother, Estella Louise Lohmann was born on 27 May 1892 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio and died on 11 April 1941 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. Robert’s parents were married on 19 November 1913 in Hamilton County, Ohio. Robert was the second of three children in the family; he had an older sister and a younger brother. He was a graduate of Withrow High School.

Military Service

Robert Nicholas Geil entered the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in January 1942. He saw combat on Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Tarawa. From July 1942 until the time of his death, he was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, operating in the Pacific Theater.

The 2nd Marines were reactivated in February 1941 in San Diego, California. This time the regiment was part of the newly formed 2nd Marine Division. The regiment, with the acting division commander and headquarters embarked in USS Crescent City and remaining elements embarked aboard USS President Adams, USS Alhena, USS President Hayes and USS President Jackson, was placed on twenty-four hours alert for sailing effective 24 June with ultimate destination Guadalcanal. The ships sailed combat-loaded and ready for landing operations on arrival from San Diego on 1 July to the South Pacific in July 1942, to reinforce the 1st Marine Division during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942–43. On 7 August 1942 and in support of assaults onto Tulagi Island plus the islets of Gavutu and Tanambogo, the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines landed in two locations onto Florida Island. Finding no Japanese troops, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines shifted during day to support the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion on Gavutu and Tanambogo. Gavutu and Tanambogo connected to each other via a causeway. An attempted landing by Co. B, 2nd Marines onto the north coast of Tanambogo was unsuccessful. On 8 August 1942, Third Battalion, 2nd Marines plus two tanks of Co. C, 2nd Marine Tank Battalion were landed onto southeast Tanambogo. After hard fighting, Tanambogo was secured by nightfall. Gavutu Island was also secured on 8 August 1942. Other elements of 2nd Marines secured the islets of Makambo, Mbangai and Kokomtambu (all near Tulagi Island) over 7 and 8 August 1942. On 9 August 1942, 2nd Marines headquarters plus attached companies of 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd Service Battalion and portion of 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines (an artillery unit) taken by retiring naval forces to Espiritu Santo. Via cargo ship USS Alhena, headquarters of 2nd Marines, including Col. J. M. Arthur, landed on Tulagi during 22 August 1942. 2nd Marines later moved to Guadalcanal with elements of 2nd Marines engaged in combat on Guadalcanal from 7 October 1942.

The regiment was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) for its actions during the final stages of the battle. This was its first such award.

Following Guadalcanal, the regiment moved to New Zealand for rest and recuperation. The regiment then took part in the bloody assault on Tarawa in November 1943. Commanding officer Colonel David M. Shoup, a future Commandant of the Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor for his stalwart leadership at Tarawa. This was the only Medal of Honor awarded to a member of the regiment during World War II. The regiment's motto is derived from this battle. The regiment received a second PUC for its demonstrated valor there.

Following Tarawa, the regiment participated in the Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Tinian in 1944. The 2nd Marines acted as a pre-landing deception force at both places before coming ashore to join the main attacks. Once again, the regiment was used as a demonstration force during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.]

After the Surrender of Japan, the regiment took up occupation duties in Nagasaki, Japan that lasted for nine months. The 2nd Marines returned to take up residence at MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and have remained there as part of the 2nd Marine Division since 1946.

Death and Burial

Robert Nicholas Geil was Killed in Action on 28 June 1944 on Saipan. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal. Initially buried on Saipan, he was reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington Virginia, Section: 12, Site: 6928 on 6 January 1949.

Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49187774

https://www.newspapers.com/image/762524606/?terms=%22robert%20n.%20geil%22&match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/100571537/?terms=%22robert%20n.%20geil%22&match=1&clipping_id=126034416

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1089/?name=robert+n._geil&count=50&name_x=1_s

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Marine_Regiment

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.

Geil, Robert Nicholas, Cpl