| NAME Raymond Homer Moershall |
NICKNAME — |
MCSN 375620 |
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| HOME OF RECORD 305 West Union Avenue, Wheaton, IL |
NEXT OF KIN Mother, Mrs. Mary Moershall |
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| DATE OF BIRTH June 1, 1922 |
DATE OF ENLISTMENT April 20, 1942 |
DATE OF LOSS October 16, 1942 |
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| REGION Solomons |
CAMPAIGN / AREA Guadlacanal / Lunga Roads |
CASUALTY TYPE MIA / Declared Dead 17 October 1943 |
UNIT VMF-223 |
DUTY — |
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| CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS PFC Raymond Moershall, a member of the ground echelon of VMF-223, was slated to leave Guadalcanal on 16 October 1942. He was one of about 150 ambulatory patients – sick, wounded, or combat fatigued – taken aboard the USS McFarland (AVD-14) for evacuation. At 1750, the ship was attacked by a flight of nine Aichi Type 99 dive bombers. The final plane landed a bomb on the McFarland’s stern, setting off the ship’s depth charges and causing havoc among the passengers packed on the exposed deck. PFC Moershall was among them: his exact fate is not known. Moershall was reported as missing in action when the McFarland beached at Tulagi. An official declaration of death followed on 17 October, 1943. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Purple Heart |
LAST KNOWN RANK Private First Class |
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| STATUS OF REMAINS Not recovered. |
MEMORIALS Manila American Cemetery |
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Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for information on this Marine.
Articles and Records:
A partial casualty report from the USS McFarland
The Chicago Tribune, 13 December 1942.
Photo Gallery:
Coming soon.
