John Kenneth Hildebrand
Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class John “Ken” Hildebrand served with the medical section of First Battalion, 6th Marines.
He was killed in action at Betio, Tarawa atoll, on 21 November 1943.
For more information on PhM1c Hildebrand, visit Jim Hildebrand’s Tarawa1943.com
Branch
Navy Regular
Service Number 383 13 54
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
August 29, 1923
at DeKalb, TX
Parents
John Charles Hildebrand
Carra Ellen (Stephens) Hildebrand
Education
Tucson Senior High School (1942)
Occupation & Employer
Enlisted from high school
Entered Service
April 20, 1942
at San Diego, CA
Home Of Record
2801 South 6th Avenue
Tucson, AZ
Next Of Kin
Parents, John & Carra Hildebrand
Military Specialty
Corpsman
Primary Unit
Medical Detachment
HQ/1/6th Marines
Campaigns Served
Guadalcanal
Tarawa
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
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Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Pharmacist’s Mate John “Ken” Hildebrand was an enlisted corpsman attached to the First Battalion, 6th Marines. He first saw combat during the the Guadalcanal campaign.
On the night of 21 November 1943, during the battle of Tarawa, Hildebrand’s battalion was ordered to land on the island of Betio. They approached Green Beach in a flotilla of rubber boats, accompanied by a pair of amphibian tractors. Several boats struggled on the way in; one, carrying corpsmen and headquarters personnel, began to sink. Corporal Howard L. Bryant brought his LVT alongside and took on seven passengers, including PhM2c Hildebrand.
Before the battle, the Japanese garrison laid a network of powerful anti-boat mines in the water near Green Beach. Bryant’s LVT struck one of these mines; the force of the explosion flipped the heavy vehicle over and killed everyone aboard except for one man. Hildebrand was among the dead, along with three other corpsmen.
For more information on this event, read Jim Hildebrand’s essay “The Green Beach LVT Mystery.”
Burial Information or Disposition
None recorded; identifiable remains not recovered.
A memorial marker was erected in Cemetery 33, Plot 4, Row 1, Grave 5.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, John & Carra Hildebrand.
Location Of Loss
Pharmacist’s Mate Hildebrand was killed when his LVT struck a mine near Betio’s Green Beach.
