Clifford Adelbert Winkler
Private Clifford A. Winkler served with Mike Company, Third Battalion, 8th Marines.
He was killed in action at Betio, Tarawa atoll, on 20 November 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 511915
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
December 29, 1924
at McKeesport, PA
Parents
Frederick W. Winkler
Edithe Ann (Hemann) Winkler
Education
McKeesport High School (ex-1943)
Occupation & Employer
Student
Service Life
Entered Service
December 13, 1942
at Pittsburgh, PA
Home Of Record
2404 Cronemeyer Street
McKeesport, PA
Next Of Kin
Parents, Fred & Edithe Winkler
Military Specialty
—
Primary Unit
M/3/8th Marines
Campaigns Served
Tarawa
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Private Clifford Winkler served with Mike Company, 8th Marines in the Guadalcanal campaign and during the battle of Tarawa. His company was primarily armed with heavy water-cooled machine guns and 81mm mortars, and provided fire support for the three rifle companies of the Third Battalion.
The amphibious assault on Betio, Tarawa atoll – Operation GALVANIC – commenced on 20 November 1943. The Third Battalion, 8th Marines were in reserve for the landing operation, but were ordered to stand by in their LCVPs and were afloat by 1015. At 1200, the battalion’s first wave began heading towards Beach Red 3 to support the heavily-engaged BLT 2-8.
Nothing went as planned. Boats slammed into the coral reef and stopped, dumping their Marines into deep water; some drowned on the spot. Following waves were hit by anti-boat fire, veered off target, and dropped their men on neighboring Beach Red 2. The last waves fell back out of range and waited for the signal to resume landing. Nearly six hours passed before the last elements of BLT 3-8 got ashore and could be organized into a semblance of a fighting force.
PFC Winkler was one of hundreds of Marines to lose his life on the first day of the battle. He died of gunshot wounds received in action; no further details of his death are known.
Burial Information or Disposition
Two days after his death, Winkler was reportedly buried in “2nd Marine Division Cemetery #5.” This notation appears to be unique to BLT 3-8; eight of their Marines were supposedly buried there. Of these, three have since been identified from other known cemeteries.
| Name (Unit) | "Cemetery 5" Burial | Alternate Burial (Source) | Recovered From |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Donald D. Voorheis (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 2” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Kenneth F. Mannix (I/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 3” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Victor J. Gaviglia (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 5” |
East Division Cemetery, Row A, Grave 21 (USMC casualty card) |
Cemetery 33 (Unknown X-107) 1946 Expedition |
|
Freeman C. Woolsey (I/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 8” |
[none] |
Unconfirmed; believed to be 33 or 26 (Unknown X-4) 1946 Expedition |
|
Duane O. Cole (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 9” |
Central Division Cemetery, Row B, Grave 26 (USMC casualty card) |
Cemetery 26 area History Fight 2014 Expedition |
|
John D. Reynolds (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 10” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Clifford A. Winkler (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 12” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
William A. Parks, Jr. (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 13” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
Interestingly, all of these Marines appear on a post-battle report written up by Chaplain W. Wyeth Willard of the 8th Marines. Willard notes that he received twelve names from one Private Steven Yontz, who “took the identification tags from their bodies and placed them in the hands of a Marine colonel.”
These Marines may have been buried either in the East Division or Central Division cemeteries – as with Gaviglia and Cole – but without additional records, it is impossible to say for certain. Private Winkler may be among the remains recovered from these locations and still awaiting identification, or he may still lie somewhere on the island of Betio.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, Frederick & Edithe Winkler.
Location Of Loss
Winkler’s battalion landed at various locations between Beach Red 2 and Red 3.
