Barney Jo Edmonson
PFC Barney J. “Ed” Edmonson served with Dog Company, 1st Armored Amphibian Battalion
He was reported missing in action at Mellu, Marshall Islands, on 31 January 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 546821
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
September 27, 1925
at Chico, TX
Parents
George Moseley Edmonson
Mattie Mae (Hardwick) Emerson
Education
Details unknown
Occupation & Employer
Details unknown
Service Life
Entered Service
August 2, 1943
at San Antonio, TX
Home Of Record
Pharr, TX
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Mattie Edmonson
Military Specialty
Tank Crewman
37mm Gunner
Primary Unit
D/1st ArmAmphBn
Campaigns Served
Marshall Islands / North Kwajalein
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 31 January 1944, participated in the amphibious landings on Mellu Island (codenamed Ivan Island) as part of the Northern Attack Force of Operation Forager. The day’s objective was to secure the small islands neighboring Roi and Namur in preparation for a major assault on 1 February.
PFC Edmonson was a crewman aboard Landing Vehicle Tracked (Armored) or LVT(A)-1 designated “D-10.” Although qualified as a 37mm main gunner, his relative inexperience – he had been in uniform just under six months – may have seen him assigned to one of the tank’s ring-mounted machine guns. While Mellu was only lightly defended, extremely high surf proved fatal to the crews of multiple tracked vehicles. A massive wave caught Tank D-10, and the armored behemoth capsized. Two surviving crewmen related their experiences in the volume “Hitting The Beaches: The First Armored Amphibian Battalion in World War II”:
As we made our run for the IVAN beach the sea was extremely rough. Nearing our objective D-10 was hit by a huge wave and turned over in surf over fifteen feet high. Eddie A. Williams and Ed Edmonson, a machine gunner, were drowned.... I was trapped in the tank and turned over completely three times; it was a miracle that I finally escaped.
I was a machine gunner on Tank D-10. The surf was so high that when I looked up from the tank it looked to be about a 20-foot wall of water coming down on us. The tank was turned over, but I was a lucky Marine and got thrown out of the tank on the first roll. I was washed ashore, where I was pinned down by enemy machine guns and friendly fire from tractors coming ashore. To my knowledge I was the first Marine ashore.
A few minutes later our radioman, Ted "Zip" Shepard, swam ashore. In his radio position he had to stay in the tank until it stopped rolling; he found a bubble of air to breathe and then got free to swim ashore. Sgt. René Bolduc was hanging onto the tow cable on the tank because he couldn't swim. We didn't save any equipment but our knives. Everything else was lost on the tank.
Later we found our tank commander, Eddie A. Williams, dead on the beach; we couldn't recognize him. Our other machine gunner, Barney J. Edmonson of Texas, was missing in action.
Contemporary newspapers report that D-10 was located and salvaged, but Edmonson was never found. He was officially reported as missing in action after the landings, and declared dead on 1 February 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, George & Mattie Edmonson.
Barney may have been married; some sources give his NOK as “Mrs. Barney J. Edmonson” of 4824 Central Avenue, San Diego, CA. Nothing more is known about this individual.
Location Of Loss
Edmonson drowned off the coast of Mellu, Kwajalein atoll.
