John Norval Stephan
Sergeant John N. Stephan served with Weapons Company, 1st Marine Parachute Regiment.
He was reported missing in action at Bougainville on 8 December 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 276865
Current Status
Remains not recovered.
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 9, 1920
at Chicago, IL
Parents
George F. Stephan
Mary (Beyer) Stephan
Education
Hirsch High School (1939)
Occupation & Employer
Student
Service Life
Entered Service
November 6, 1939
at Chicago, IL
Home Of Record
7527 Cornell Avenue
Chicago, IL
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Mary Stephan
Military Specialty
Armorer / Ordnance
Primary Unit
Weapons/1st Paramarines
Campaigns Served
Bougainville
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
Sergeant Stephan joined the Paramarines in October 1943.
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Sergeant John Stephan – also known by his middle name, Norval – served as an armorer for Weapons Company, First Marine Parachute Regiment, during the Bougainville campaign.
In early December 1943, First Marine Amphibious Corps (IMAC) units worked to solidify a defensive line around the Torokina beachhead and airfield. The Paramarines were sent to occupy a mass of hills that offered strong positions and good observation of the important East-West Trail. By 5 December, the Paramarines had occupied Hill 1000 and sent out regular combat patrols to keep Japanese troops at bay. They discovered a spur “fortified by nature: matted jungle for concealment, gullies to impair passage, steep slopes to discourage everything,” on 7 December – and noted Japanese positions, seemingly abandoned.
The Paramarines returned to occupy the spur the next morning, but were already too late.
A patrol from the Provisional Parachute Battalion started down the spur on the 8th of December but was driven back by unexpected enemy fire. The Japanese, repeating a favorite maneuver, had returned to occupy the positions during the night.
The patrol reorganized and made a second attempt to seize the enemy position. No headway was made during a sharp exchange of fire. After eight Marines had been wounded, the patrol returned to the front lines.
In the days that followed, this spur would earn the nickname “Hellzapoppin’ Ridge” – a reference to a popular Broadway show, grimly evocative of the carnage on its slopes.
Sergeant Stephan was reported as missing in action effective 8 December 1943; no further specifics are known. It is presumed that he was lost somewhere in the vicinity of Hill 1000 and Hellzapoppin’ Ridge.
Burial Information or Disposition
No identifiable trace of Sergeant Stephan was ever found, and he was declared dead as of 9 December 1944.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Mary Stephan.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of Hill 1000 / Hellzapoppin’ Ridge.
