Sergeant Darrell Samuel Cole was born July 20, 1920, in Esther, Missouri to Samuel Randall Cole and Mary Magdaline Williams. He had three brothers Private Herbert Francis Cole, Private Howard George Cole, and Private Homer Dennis Cole.

Before graduating high school, his main interests were sports; particularly basketball, hunting, and photography. He also learned to play the french horn which later led to him being assigned as a bugler.

After graduating from high school, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), where he became an assistant forestry clerk and assistant educational advisor for his company. He left after one year and he went to Detroit, Michigan where he worked at a company that made engine gaskets.

On August 25, 1941, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Following the United States Marine Corps Recruit Training at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina, he was appointed to the Field Music School for training as a Marine Corps Field Musician as a bugler. He applied for a change in rating to be a machine-gunner but was refused due to the shortage of buglers. After completing field music school, he was transferred to the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

After completing his first overseas tour, he returned to the United States in February 1943 and was assigned to the First Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. When his unit moved to California he again asked for relief as a field musician; and for permission to perform line duties. Again, due to the shortage of buglers in the Marine Corps, his request was denied.

Cole arrived on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942, for the first American offensive of World War II. In the absence of the regular gunner, he was given the first opportunity to fill in as a machine-gunner in the absence of the regular gunner. After Guadalcanal, Cole served in several more battles throughout the Pacific theatre, including the battles of Kwajalein, Saipan, and Tinian.

When Cole was sent to fight with his unit in Saipan, he was assigned to a machine-gun unit; and was designated as a machine gun section leader. During the battle, his squad leader was killed and Cole, although wounded, assumed command of the entire squad. He was awarded the Bronze Star and was awarded the Purple Heart for the wounds he received.

When fighting began on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from July 24 to August 1, 1944, Cole's unit was sent in a few days after the battle began. Cole again led his squad ashore in the invasion and defeat of the neighboring islands of Tinian; and continued to build his reputation as "The Fighting Field Musician.” Soon after Cole’s request for change of rating was approved and he was promoted to Sergeant in November 1944.

On February 19, Sergeant Cole led his machine gun section ashore in the D-Day assault of Iwo Jima. Moving forward with the initial assault wave, a hail of fire from two enemy emplacements halted his section's advance. Sergeant Cole personally destroyed them 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 destroyed by a machine-gunner in Cole's squad. When his machine guns jammed, armed only with a pistol and one hand grenade, Sergeant Cole made a one-man attack against the two remaining gun emplacements. 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 enemy strong points.

Upon returning to his own squad, he was killed by an enemy grenade. As a result of his one-man attack, Sergeant Cole's company could move forward against the fortifications and attain their ultimate objective.

Sergeant Cole was initially buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, but at the request of his father, his remains were returned to the United States to be buried in Parkview Cemetery, Farmington, Missouri.

February 19, 1945, Sergeant Cole posthumously received the United States' highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his conspicuous gallantry at the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

In addition to the Medal of Honor and Bronze Star Medal, Sergeant Cole was awarded the Purple Heart with Gold Star in lieu of a second award, the Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

In 1996 the United States Navy named USS Cole (DDG-67), a destroyer, in his honor. This destroyer was damaged in a suicide attack in Yemen but subsequently repaired and is currently in service.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see 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 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 fallen's name and read his/her story.

Source: Darrell S. Cole. (2020, May 06). Retrieved July 17, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrell_S._Cole

Sergeant Darrell Samuel Cole "The Fighting Field Musician"