Skip to content

Richard Norman Olbert

PFC Richard N. Olbert served with Baker Company, 2nd Raider Battalion (Carlson’s Raiders).
He was captured on Makin Island and executed at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, on 16 October 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 349489

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains not recovered.

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

September 25, 1919
at Hesperus, CO

Parents

Norman Olbert
Bertha Augusta (Patscheck) Olbert

Education

High school graduate

Occupation & Employer

Army Corps of Engineers
Fort Richardson, Alaska

Service Life

Entered Service

January 8, 1942
at Denver, CO

Home Of Record

Durango, CO

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Bertha A. Olbert

Military Specialty

Raider

Campaigns Served

Makin Island Raid

Individual Decorations

Navy Cross
Purple Heart
Prisoner of War Medal

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Before dawn on 17 August 1942, two companies of the 2nd Raider Battalion disembarked from a pair of submarines, boarded rubber boats, and paddled ashore on Makin Island. The commando-style raid, plagued by confusion and unexpectedly stiff resistance by the Japanese garrison, led Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson to briefly contemplate surrender before ordering his men back to the submarines. Only a few reached safety that evening; many others were stranded on the beach for and uncomfortable night.

The following morning, a group of five strong swimmers volunteered to take a raft back to shore and help evacuate survivors. One of these men was PFC Richard Olbert, a former contractor for the Army Corps of Engineers. As they swam back through the surf, a Japanese aircraft bombed and strafed the raft. Observers believed that the five volunteers were killed. The Raiders finally withdrew, leaving eighteen confirmed KIA and twelve missing. Those men, including PFC Olbert, were declared dead on 18 August 1943.

Muster roll, POW/Missing Persons Detachment, HQMC, August 1943.

In fact, nine surviving Raiders were left behind. They held out until late August and even tried to sail from Makin in a native canoe, but were captured by a Japanese destroyer and shipped to Kwajalein atoll – the headquarters of the Japanese Sixth Base Unit. The Raiders were held in captivity for forty days, ostensibly awaiting suitable transport to Japan. Captain Yoshiro Obara testified that “our men [were] on good terms with these prisoners… giving their candies and cigarettes to them, and the prisoners [were] expecting to see Tokyo as soon as possible and talking about Japanese women.” This companionable picture was almost certainly false, as other prisoners who survived Kwajalein described atrocious and cruel conditions.

 On 16 October 1942, the Raiders were led from their cells to a clearing in the coconut groves. One by one they were blindfolded, made to kneel on a mat, and beheaded. The slaughter lasted thirty minutes; historian Tripp Wiles notes that Obara himself reportedly took the first swing.

After the war, Obara and Abe were among those tried for war crimes. Obara received ten years imprisonment and served five; Abe, who insisted that his hands were tied by orders from others, was sentenced to death. He was hanged on Guam on 19 June 1947.

Burial Information or Disposition

The bodies were unceremoniously dumped in an unmarked mass grave somewhere on Kwajalein. The exact site has never been located.

Decorations

Purple Heart

For wounds resulting in his death at enemy hands, 16 October 1942

Prisoner Of War Medal

In captivity from 18 August 1942 – 16 October 1942

Next Of Kin Address

Address of mother, Mrs. Bertha Olbert.

Location Of Loss

The Raiders were imprisoned and executed on the island of Kwajalein.

Related Profiles

Marines lost as a result of the Makin Island raid.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *