Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Pfc. Harold Epperson
June 22, 2020 | BY Katie Lange , DOD News
Medal of Honor Monday graphic
Many young Americans die in war to save others, and the courage and selflessness they show in making those decisions are truly inspiring. Marine Corps Pfc. Harold Glenn Epperson was a month shy of his 21st birthday when he died giving his life for his fellow Marines on a small Pacific island during World War II.
A man in a World War II uniform and cap smiles.
Epperson was born July 14, 1923, in Akron, Ohio, and grew up in the nearby town of Massillon. He graduated from high school in 1941 and worked for Goodyear Aircraft for a bit before enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve on Dec. 12, 1942, a year into the U.S. involvement in World War II.
Epperson was called to active duty and assigned as a machine gunner to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. The unit was based in the Pacific and served with distinction in November 1943 during the Battle of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands.
https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/Story/Article/2224823/medal-of-honor-monday-marine-corps-pfc-harold-epperson/source/GovDelivery/
