George Coe Browning

George Browning enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 1942; after completing boot camp at Parris Island and radio school at Camp Lejeune, he was assigned to duty with the comms platoon of First Battalion, 23rd Marines. He served as a radioman in the battles of Roi-Namur, Saipan, and Tinian, where he was slightly wounded in action on 2 August 1944. Browning earned a PFC stripe while overseas, but lost it following a disciplinary infraction in the winter of 1944. In January 1945, his regiment departed Hawaii for Iwo Jima, and landed under fire on 19 February. Browning managed to survive his first few hours on Iwo, and spent the night in a foxhole on Beach Yellow One.

On the morning of 20 February 1945, Browning was ordered to find replacement communications gear stored somewhere in the vicinity of Beach Red Two, approximately 500 yards away. All beaches were under heavy mortar and artillery fire, with casualties occurring constantly. Private Browning never returned to his company; since no eyewitnesses could state whether he was wounded or dead, Browning was reported as missing in action. He was promoted to PFC while in missing status.

Nothing more was learned of Browning’s fate, and he was ultimately declared dead on 21 February 1946.