Gunnery Sergeant Clarence Vitasinsky
Clarence Theodore Vitasinsky was born on June 20th, 1921 in Pontiac, Michigan to Shimon and Maria Vitasinsky, both Polish immigrants. Sadly, his father passed away just one year after birth, and his mother remarried shortly after, and gave birth to a half sister. After completing high school, Clarence wondered what he would do with his life, at least until he heard about the Marines. Due to rising tensions overseas with the outbreak of WW2 just a year prior, Clarence enlisted early in the Marine Corps on February 5th, 1940 and quickly shipped off to California to complete boot camp. The state, which would be his home for the next few years, was a new atmosphere for Private Vitasinsky who was used to lakes and cold winters.
Samoa
On April 6th, Private Vitasinsky transferred to the Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, San Diego and earned his first promotion to Private First Class on May 1st of the new year. His promotion to Corporal occured while working as a truck driver on March 9th, 1942, and shortly after, he completed Armorer School at the base. Finally, on January 16th, 1943, Sergeant Vitasinsky joined the 5th Replacement Battalion and sailed aboard the SS Matsonia for the Pacific. His voyage took him to Pago Pago, Tutuila, Samoa for duty with Machine Gun Group, 2nd Defense Battalion. For the next eight months, Sgt Vitasinsky defended the island from possible Japanese air attacks and took advantage of the jungle terrain to train for further operations. Following his group’s redesignation as the Special Weapons Group in August, the 2nd Defense Battalion left Samoa on November 10th and arrived in Wellington, New Zealand a week later. Here, they conducted landing exercises with the 2nd Marine Division in preparation for the invasion of Tarawa Atoll.
Tarawa
On the 13th of November, Sgt Vitasinsky and the invasion force began their journey to the island while rehearsing their objectives. His Special Weapons Group was the only component of the 2nd Defense Battalion on temporary duty with the 2nd Marine Division slated to land on the first day. On November 20th, that day came. The invasion kicked off with an exchange of fire from the Japanese shore batteries followed by a general shelling of the island. After a few hours, the enemy guns were silent and thought to be destroyed, and shortly after 8:00 AM, the assault waves raced for the beaches. Sgt Vitasinsky and his special weapons group boarded their Higgins boats in case the landings met high opposition, which is exactly how they fared. The Japanese had not been annihilated and instead decimated the first waves. Those who managed to make it ashore clung to a few yards on the beach and were unable to advance. As more waves began landing, Sgt Vitasinsky and his men anticipated their turn, but by nightfall, they still remained in their boat. At daybreak of the 21st, they finally began the dangerous journey to the beach, but for unknown reasons, half of the unit turned back and reboarded the USS Biddle. One member was Sgt Vitasinsky, who had to painfully watch from the sea as the rest of the marines struggled to wrestle control of the island from the Japanese.
Ultimately, Tarawa was declared secure on November 23rd, at the cost of nearly 900 American lives, becoming one of the bloodiest battles of the war considering its length. Sgt Vitasinsky landed to rejoin his unit on the 25th and took part in the mop up operation on the island where his unit suffered three killed. While the 2nd Marine Division were relieved from the island, it was up to the 2nd Defense Battalion to defend it from air attacks. During the following month, ten Japanese bombing runs were made on the island and all were repelled with minimal damage, causing them to give up any more efforts. In addition, Vitasinsky was promoted to Platoon Sergeant on the 24th, and with the dawn of a new year, Vitasinsky extended his enlistment for two more years and continued to defend Tarawa until his unit returned to Kauai, Hawaii by May of 1944. The 2nd Defense Battalion was redesignated as the 2nd Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, and PltSgt Vitasinksy joined it’s Heavy AA Group on June 23rd. Almost immediately, he attended ordnance school at the 6th Base Depot from July 8th to September 3rd, and was promptly promoted to Gunnery Sergeant on the 28th of the same month.
End of the War
As 1945 grew closer, the battalion began preparations for their redeployment to the Pacific, leaving Hawaii on December 29th aboard the SS Aqua Prince. On January 7th, GySgt Vitasinsky and his battalion briefly stopped at Eniwetok Atoll before continuing their voyage to the island of Guam. The 2nd AAA Battalion remained here to train for the invasion of Okinawa, but as his unit steamed towards the island in late March, the Marine Corps had other plans for GySgt Vitasinsky who remained behind at Guam. On April 2nd, he was transferred back to the states by government air transport, arriving on the 12th and joining Depot of Supplies, San Francisco shortly after.
For the remainder of the war, he would work as an assistant salvageman and small arms mechanic at the base, missing out on the crucial battle of Okinawa which played a pivotal role in delivering the final blows to the Japanese empire that surrendered in September of 1945. While the war was finally over, GySgt Vitasinsky still had a few more months left of his service, during which he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal for his first term of enlistment. Upon his honorable discharge on February 15th, 1946, a second Good Conduct Medal was added to his decorations before he left the west coast for his home in Michigan.
Clarence eventually settled back into civilian life and married Candida Joffre in October of 1948. It is unknown what Clarence’s occupation was after the war, however, his wife worked as a secretary at the local Kingswood High School although neither had children. Clarence sadly passed away on October 21st, 1980 and his wife in 2011, never having remarried.
Samoa
On April 6th, Private Vitasinsky transferred to the Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, San Diego and earned his first promotion to Private First Class on May 1st of the new year. His promotion to Corporal occured while working as a truck driver on March 9th, 1942, and shortly after, he completed Armorer School at the base. Finally, on January 16th, 1943, Sergeant Vitasinsky joined the 5th Replacement Battalion and sailed aboard the SS Matsonia for the Pacific. His voyage took him to Pago Pago, Tutuila, Samoa for duty with Machine Gun Group, 2nd Defense Battalion. For the next eight months, Sgt Vitasinsky defended the island from possible Japanese air attacks and took advantage of the jungle terrain to train for further operations. Following his group’s redesignation as the Special Weapons Group in August, the 2nd Defense Battalion left Samoa on November 10th and arrived in Wellington, New Zealand a week later. Here, they conducted landing exercises with the 2nd Marine Division in preparation for the invasion of Tarawa Atoll.
Tarawa
On the 13th of November, Sgt Vitasinsky and the invasion force began their journey to the island while rehearsing their objectives. His Special Weapons Group was the only component of the 2nd Defense Battalion on temporary duty with the 2nd Marine Division slated to land on the first day. On November 20th, that day came. The invasion kicked off with an exchange of fire from the Japanese shore batteries followed by a general shelling of the island. After a few hours, the enemy guns were silent and thought to be destroyed, and shortly after 8:00 AM, the assault waves raced for the beaches. Sgt Vitasinsky and his special weapons group boarded their Higgins boats in case the landings met high opposition, which is exactly how they fared. The Japanese had not been annihilated and instead decimated the first waves. Those who managed to make it ashore clung to a few yards on the beach and were unable to advance. As more waves began landing, Sgt Vitasinsky and his men anticipated their turn, but by nightfall, they still remained in their boat. At daybreak of the 21st, they finally began the dangerous journey to the beach, but for unknown reasons, half of the unit turned back and reboarded the USS Biddle. One member was Sgt Vitasinsky, who had to painfully watch from the sea as the rest of the marines struggled to wrestle control of the island from the Japanese.
Ultimately, Tarawa was declared secure on November 23rd, at the cost of nearly 900 American lives, becoming one of the bloodiest battles of the war considering its length. Sgt Vitasinsky landed to rejoin his unit on the 25th and took part in the mop up operation on the island where his unit suffered three killed. While the 2nd Marine Division were relieved from the island, it was up to the 2nd Defense Battalion to defend it from air attacks. During the following month, ten Japanese bombing runs were made on the island and all were repelled with minimal damage, causing them to give up any more efforts. In addition, Vitasinsky was promoted to Platoon Sergeant on the 24th, and with the dawn of a new year, Vitasinsky extended his enlistment for two more years and continued to defend Tarawa until his unit returned to Kauai, Hawaii by May of 1944. The 2nd Defense Battalion was redesignated as the 2nd Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, and PltSgt Vitasinksy joined it’s Heavy AA Group on June 23rd. Almost immediately, he attended ordnance school at the 6th Base Depot from July 8th to September 3rd, and was promptly promoted to Gunnery Sergeant on the 28th of the same month.
End of the War
As 1945 grew closer, the battalion began preparations for their redeployment to the Pacific, leaving Hawaii on December 29th aboard the SS Aqua Prince. On January 7th, GySgt Vitasinsky and his battalion briefly stopped at Eniwetok Atoll before continuing their voyage to the island of Guam. The 2nd AAA Battalion remained here to train for the invasion of Okinawa, but as his unit steamed towards the island in late March, the Marine Corps had other plans for GySgt Vitasinsky who remained behind at Guam. On April 2nd, he was transferred back to the states by government air transport, arriving on the 12th and joining Depot of Supplies, San Francisco shortly after.
For the remainder of the war, he would work as an assistant salvageman and small arms mechanic at the base, missing out on the crucial battle of Okinawa which played a pivotal role in delivering the final blows to the Japanese empire that surrendered in September of 1945. While the war was finally over, GySgt Vitasinsky still had a few more months left of his service, during which he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal for his first term of enlistment. Upon his honorable discharge on February 15th, 1946, a second Good Conduct Medal was added to his decorations before he left the west coast for his home in Michigan.
Clarence eventually settled back into civilian life and married Candida Joffre in October of 1948. It is unknown what Clarence’s occupation was after the war, however, his wife worked as a secretary at the local Kingswood High School although neither had children. Clarence sadly passed away on October 21st, 1980 and his wife in 2011, never having remarried.