Platoon Sergeant John F Francis
John Frank Francis was born on June 27th, 1917 in Alberta, Canada to Genevea Dahl and John Francis. Although his two other siblings were born in Canada as well, the Francis family mainly resided in Hennepin, Minnesota. Tragically, his mother passed away just one year after he was born which brought more hardships to the family. When John was old enough, he helped his father with work while simultaneously attending school, and upon graduation, moved to California to pursue jobs. Eventually, he turned to the military and enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 18th, 1939 and after completing boot camp, attended Sea School in San Diego to prepare for duty on the seas. On December 23rd, Private Francis joined the Marine Detachment, USS Portland which immediately began joint Army-Navy maneuvers in preparation for the possibility of World War 2 engulfing the United States as it did with Europe. For the rest of the year, the USS Portland took part in two Fleet Problems and relocated to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where Francis was promoted to Private First Class. Additionally, he won multiple rifle competition prizes, qualified as a Gun Pointer 2nd Class, and tried out for the Scouting Force Rifle Team.
USS Portland
The beginning of 1941 saw PFC Francis and the USS Portland traveling to Tutuila, Samoa, Australia, and the Fiji Islands for goodwill cruises, however as the year went on, tensions increased between Axis forces and the US. On October 13th, the USS Portland began its voyage to the Philippines, arriving on November 12th and remaining there for a few days. By the time they left for Pearl Harbor, the crew had no idea that many of their comrades on the island would not be seen again. By another stroke of luck, the USS Portland was ordered out of Pearl Harbor for Midway on December 6th with the USS Lexington’s carrier group. This seemingly insignificant action likely saved her from destruction when the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the next morning, dragging America into WW2. Immediately, Corporal Francis and the USS Portland began patrolling around Midway for threats before returning to base on the 14th and witnessing the horrific destruction of ships and men caused by the Japanese.
Francis transferred to the Pearl Harbor Marine Base on December 29th to await further orders. Although he was eager to get revenge, he would have to wait one long year before getting an assignment, during which he trained as an artilleryman and gained a promotion to Sergeant. On April 12th, 1943, Francis finally joined Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines as the NCO in charge of ammunition. Within eight months the regiment was ready to deploy to the Pacific with the 4th Marine Division.
Roi Namur
Sergeant Francis and his unit sailed from San Francisco onboard LST 271 on January 6th, 1944 and sailed for their objective: Roi Namur, Kwajalein. The assault forces arrived offshore the evening of the 30th and prepared themselves. At dawn, naval ships began pounding the Japanese defenses as the 14th Marines climbed aboard LVTs and rushed towards the beaches of small islets around Roi Namur. Unfortunately, the 2nd Battalion landings at Ennumennet Island were plagued by high waves and a lack of LVTs, which meant many of the gun crews and ammunition were unable to land until darkness. On the bright side, enemy resistance was extremely light, and by morning of January 1st, the 14th Marines began pounding Roi Namur with artillery as Marine Infantry made their assault on the main islands. Although over four thousand defenders fought desperately against the Marines, supporting fire from artillery positioned on the large array of islands played a pivotal role in decimating the Japanese and reducing the number of Marine casualties. By the time Roi Namur was fully captured on February 8th, only 206 Marines were killed. With their job done, Sergeant Francis left aboard the USS La Salle and returned to Maui, Hawaii for a very short rest.
Sapian
Just under three months later, the 4th Marine Division was back on the offensive, with Sergeant Francis’s regiment beginning the voyage to Saipan aboard LST 23 on May 13th with a quick stop at Eniwetok for landing rehearsals. During the night of the 14th of June the American forces assembled off the shore of Saipan and in the morning, began softening up the island. Marine infantry then surged towards the beaches under heavy fire while Sergeant Francis’ 14th Marines moved into position to await their turn. At noon, they were cleared to land, but the 1st and 2nd Battalions faced serious setbacks. Their DUKW landing boats never showed up, and the LCVP’s could only hold one gun at a time that had to be hand lowered over the side of transport ships, then transferred to LVTs that would take them to the beach. As a result, gun crews became scattered and disorganized. Sergeant Francis’ Battery E was the hardest hit when they lost three howitzers and were unable to land their entire group until nightfall. The damage was done however, and the battery was split between Batteries D and F for the rest of the campaign.
The regiment was still able to play a large part in repelling a fierce Japanese counterattack during the night, but suffered extreme losses to their guns during an artillery duel in the morning. Sergeant Francis and his unit were forced to postpone any fire missions until it could reorganize. Miraculously, all guns were expertly repaired and returned to the fight by the afternoon of the same day. For the rest of the campaign, the 14th Marines fire missions changed rapidly, from supporting a different Marine division to helping Army units. It was crucial for each Battery to keep track of its ammunition and ensure they had enough to complete a day’s work. Sergeant Francis worked furiously to complete this feat as his Battery fired upon Mount Tapochau, Magicienne Bay, Hill 500, Purple Heart Ridge, and many others. Their superb accuracy and efficiency contributed greatly to Saipan’s capture by July 9th. With the battle now over. The 2nd Battalion spent the next eleven days reorganizing and Battery E recovered its men from where they had been allocated. This was completed just in time for the invasion of Tinian.
Tinian
The majority of the 14th Marines remained on Saipan to fire in support of the landings, while the 1st and 2nd Battalions would land directly on Tinian. On July 22nd, Sergeant Francis left on LST 340 and made the short voyage to the outskirts of their objective. The morning of the 24th saw the Marines assaulting the small White Beaches on Tinian under the cover of artillery and smoke shells while the 2nd Marine Division conducted successful diversionary landings elsewhere. Sergeant Francis’ 2nd Battalion landed on White Beach 1 after a very time consuming crossing due to the 60 yard long beach being clogged with personnel. All batteries began firing by 3:15 PM and by the end of the day, not a single casualty was sustained. This would change when the Japanese launched a counterattack after midnight. While other Marine units were locked in battle, the 14th Marines began firing in support. At 2:00 AM, a group of Japanese were spotted directly in front of Sergeant Francis’ Battery E who responded with small arms fire, broke their charge, then lent a hand to their sister batteries. By morning, 100 Japanese were counted in front of the guns and their fire resumed towards Mount Lasso and Faibus San Hilo Point. The battle for Tinian was much more favorable than Saipan, and it fell to the Americans on August 1st with minimal casualties. Sergeant Francis began his return on August 8th aboard the USAT Sea Corporal and landed back at Maui at the end of the month. This was not the end of his already extensive combat service, as the division began preparing for the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima
After five months of training, during which Francis was promoted to Platoon Sergeant, the 14th Marines left Hawaii on January 27th, 1945 for brief stops at Eniwetok and Saipan before continuing to their objective. The fleet arrived off of Iwo Jima during the early morning of February 19th while the preliminary bombardments were already underway. The first wave sections of the 14th Marines were ordered into LVTs at 3:30 AM and at 6:45 AM, began their push to the beaches with the infantry. Resistance was initially light, because the Japanese waited until the beaches were clogged with personnel before turning the island into a casualty-inducing inferno. With the situation not getting better, Platoon Sergeant Francis’ 2nd Battalion was cleared to land at 5:00 PM at Yellow Beach 1, and Japanese defenders inflicted casualties amongst the crew members who struggled to get their guns inland and into the action. By 8:30 AM, they were ready. On the 22nd, the 14th Marines played a key role in the 23rd Marines’ dawn attack that extended the front line by 300 yards, and the seizing of Motoyama Airfield.
Nearly every advance done on the island was supported by 14th Marine artillery, which very soon caused logistical problems and shortages of ammunition. As chief of Battery E’s ammunition section, Platoon Sergeant Francis was in constant contact with shore party teams to ensure his unit was fully supplied to support Marine infantry capturing the Turkey Knob and cracked Kuribayshi’s last line of resistance which marked the beginning of the end of Iwo Jima. On the night of March 8-9th, over 1,000 Japanese defenders mounted a Banzai attack on a gap between the 23rd and 24th Marines. Flooded with calls, the 14th Marines immediately answered with devastating accuracy for hours that accounted for 784 enemy dead. Four days after this action, the 14th Marines ceased operations on Iwo Jima. Platoon Sergeant Francis was awarded the Navy Commendation Ribbon “For excellent performance of duty as chief of the Ammunition Section of a Marine Artillery Battery in action against the enemy on Iwo Jima, Volcanic Islands, from 19 February to 16 March, 1945” before leaving on the USS Rock Bridge for Maui, Hawaii.
While the rest of his unit began training for the invasion of Japan, Francis became sick and transferred to the US Naval Hospital, Oakland, California on June 9th. When Japan announced their unconditional surrender on September 2nd, Platoon Sergeant Francis began the separation process from the Marines due to an unknown disability, finally being discharged on the 24th and returning to his home in Los Angeles, California. In 1953, John married Louise Heidt, but nothing else is known about his civilian life, except that he later moved to Ventura, CA, where he passed away on July 12th, 2003.
USS Portland
The beginning of 1941 saw PFC Francis and the USS Portland traveling to Tutuila, Samoa, Australia, and the Fiji Islands for goodwill cruises, however as the year went on, tensions increased between Axis forces and the US. On October 13th, the USS Portland began its voyage to the Philippines, arriving on November 12th and remaining there for a few days. By the time they left for Pearl Harbor, the crew had no idea that many of their comrades on the island would not be seen again. By another stroke of luck, the USS Portland was ordered out of Pearl Harbor for Midway on December 6th with the USS Lexington’s carrier group. This seemingly insignificant action likely saved her from destruction when the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the next morning, dragging America into WW2. Immediately, Corporal Francis and the USS Portland began patrolling around Midway for threats before returning to base on the 14th and witnessing the horrific destruction of ships and men caused by the Japanese.
Francis transferred to the Pearl Harbor Marine Base on December 29th to await further orders. Although he was eager to get revenge, he would have to wait one long year before getting an assignment, during which he trained as an artilleryman and gained a promotion to Sergeant. On April 12th, 1943, Francis finally joined Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines as the NCO in charge of ammunition. Within eight months the regiment was ready to deploy to the Pacific with the 4th Marine Division.
Roi Namur
Sergeant Francis and his unit sailed from San Francisco onboard LST 271 on January 6th, 1944 and sailed for their objective: Roi Namur, Kwajalein. The assault forces arrived offshore the evening of the 30th and prepared themselves. At dawn, naval ships began pounding the Japanese defenses as the 14th Marines climbed aboard LVTs and rushed towards the beaches of small islets around Roi Namur. Unfortunately, the 2nd Battalion landings at Ennumennet Island were plagued by high waves and a lack of LVTs, which meant many of the gun crews and ammunition were unable to land until darkness. On the bright side, enemy resistance was extremely light, and by morning of January 1st, the 14th Marines began pounding Roi Namur with artillery as Marine Infantry made their assault on the main islands. Although over four thousand defenders fought desperately against the Marines, supporting fire from artillery positioned on the large array of islands played a pivotal role in decimating the Japanese and reducing the number of Marine casualties. By the time Roi Namur was fully captured on February 8th, only 206 Marines were killed. With their job done, Sergeant Francis left aboard the USS La Salle and returned to Maui, Hawaii for a very short rest.
Sapian
Just under three months later, the 4th Marine Division was back on the offensive, with Sergeant Francis’s regiment beginning the voyage to Saipan aboard LST 23 on May 13th with a quick stop at Eniwetok for landing rehearsals. During the night of the 14th of June the American forces assembled off the shore of Saipan and in the morning, began softening up the island. Marine infantry then surged towards the beaches under heavy fire while Sergeant Francis’ 14th Marines moved into position to await their turn. At noon, they were cleared to land, but the 1st and 2nd Battalions faced serious setbacks. Their DUKW landing boats never showed up, and the LCVP’s could only hold one gun at a time that had to be hand lowered over the side of transport ships, then transferred to LVTs that would take them to the beach. As a result, gun crews became scattered and disorganized. Sergeant Francis’ Battery E was the hardest hit when they lost three howitzers and were unable to land their entire group until nightfall. The damage was done however, and the battery was split between Batteries D and F for the rest of the campaign.
The regiment was still able to play a large part in repelling a fierce Japanese counterattack during the night, but suffered extreme losses to their guns during an artillery duel in the morning. Sergeant Francis and his unit were forced to postpone any fire missions until it could reorganize. Miraculously, all guns were expertly repaired and returned to the fight by the afternoon of the same day. For the rest of the campaign, the 14th Marines fire missions changed rapidly, from supporting a different Marine division to helping Army units. It was crucial for each Battery to keep track of its ammunition and ensure they had enough to complete a day’s work. Sergeant Francis worked furiously to complete this feat as his Battery fired upon Mount Tapochau, Magicienne Bay, Hill 500, Purple Heart Ridge, and many others. Their superb accuracy and efficiency contributed greatly to Saipan’s capture by July 9th. With the battle now over. The 2nd Battalion spent the next eleven days reorganizing and Battery E recovered its men from where they had been allocated. This was completed just in time for the invasion of Tinian.
Tinian
The majority of the 14th Marines remained on Saipan to fire in support of the landings, while the 1st and 2nd Battalions would land directly on Tinian. On July 22nd, Sergeant Francis left on LST 340 and made the short voyage to the outskirts of their objective. The morning of the 24th saw the Marines assaulting the small White Beaches on Tinian under the cover of artillery and smoke shells while the 2nd Marine Division conducted successful diversionary landings elsewhere. Sergeant Francis’ 2nd Battalion landed on White Beach 1 after a very time consuming crossing due to the 60 yard long beach being clogged with personnel. All batteries began firing by 3:15 PM and by the end of the day, not a single casualty was sustained. This would change when the Japanese launched a counterattack after midnight. While other Marine units were locked in battle, the 14th Marines began firing in support. At 2:00 AM, a group of Japanese were spotted directly in front of Sergeant Francis’ Battery E who responded with small arms fire, broke their charge, then lent a hand to their sister batteries. By morning, 100 Japanese were counted in front of the guns and their fire resumed towards Mount Lasso and Faibus San Hilo Point. The battle for Tinian was much more favorable than Saipan, and it fell to the Americans on August 1st with minimal casualties. Sergeant Francis began his return on August 8th aboard the USAT Sea Corporal and landed back at Maui at the end of the month. This was not the end of his already extensive combat service, as the division began preparing for the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima
After five months of training, during which Francis was promoted to Platoon Sergeant, the 14th Marines left Hawaii on January 27th, 1945 for brief stops at Eniwetok and Saipan before continuing to their objective. The fleet arrived off of Iwo Jima during the early morning of February 19th while the preliminary bombardments were already underway. The first wave sections of the 14th Marines were ordered into LVTs at 3:30 AM and at 6:45 AM, began their push to the beaches with the infantry. Resistance was initially light, because the Japanese waited until the beaches were clogged with personnel before turning the island into a casualty-inducing inferno. With the situation not getting better, Platoon Sergeant Francis’ 2nd Battalion was cleared to land at 5:00 PM at Yellow Beach 1, and Japanese defenders inflicted casualties amongst the crew members who struggled to get their guns inland and into the action. By 8:30 AM, they were ready. On the 22nd, the 14th Marines played a key role in the 23rd Marines’ dawn attack that extended the front line by 300 yards, and the seizing of Motoyama Airfield.
Nearly every advance done on the island was supported by 14th Marine artillery, which very soon caused logistical problems and shortages of ammunition. As chief of Battery E’s ammunition section, Platoon Sergeant Francis was in constant contact with shore party teams to ensure his unit was fully supplied to support Marine infantry capturing the Turkey Knob and cracked Kuribayshi’s last line of resistance which marked the beginning of the end of Iwo Jima. On the night of March 8-9th, over 1,000 Japanese defenders mounted a Banzai attack on a gap between the 23rd and 24th Marines. Flooded with calls, the 14th Marines immediately answered with devastating accuracy for hours that accounted for 784 enemy dead. Four days after this action, the 14th Marines ceased operations on Iwo Jima. Platoon Sergeant Francis was awarded the Navy Commendation Ribbon “For excellent performance of duty as chief of the Ammunition Section of a Marine Artillery Battery in action against the enemy on Iwo Jima, Volcanic Islands, from 19 February to 16 March, 1945” before leaving on the USS Rock Bridge for Maui, Hawaii.
While the rest of his unit began training for the invasion of Japan, Francis became sick and transferred to the US Naval Hospital, Oakland, California on June 9th. When Japan announced their unconditional surrender on September 2nd, Platoon Sergeant Francis began the separation process from the Marines due to an unknown disability, finally being discharged on the 24th and returning to his home in Los Angeles, California. In 1953, John married Louise Heidt, but nothing else is known about his civilian life, except that he later moved to Ventura, CA, where he passed away on July 12th, 2003.