John Rutherford Camien, Jr.
First Lieutenant John R. Camien, Jr., served with King Company Company, Third Battalion, 25th Marines.
He was killed in action at Iwo Jima on 20 February 1945.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number O-19984
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by DPAA
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
January 21, 1920
in Wichita, KS
Parents
John Rutherford Camien (d. 1939)
Mabel Adele (Root) Camien
Education
Wichita East High School (1938)
Occupation & Employer
Professional Marine
Service Life
Entered Service
July 29, 1938 (enlisted)
March 11, 1943 (commission)
Home Of Record
1436 Taylor Street NW
Washington, DC
Next Of Kin
Wife, Mrs. Cora Mae Camien
Military Specialty
Company Executive Officer
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart (Saipan)
– with 1st Gold Star (Tinian)
– with 2nd Gold Star (Iwo Jima)
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
From the moment they landed on Iwo’s Blue Beaches, BLT 3-25 was under intense, accurate, and murderous gunfire. By the end of the day, the outfit was so badly mauled that it was withdrawn to regimental reserve for a breather. King Company went into battle with seven officers and 220 enlisted men; on D+1, they could muster only two officers and 163 men. The rest had been killed or wounded; a handful were simply gone, with no eyewitnesses to give information.
The executive officer, First Lieutenant John R. Camien, Jr., was among the fallen. A pre-war regular, Camien was a “mustang” – an officer promoted from the enlisted ranks – and had been wounded in action twice during the fighting for the Mariana Islands. While he was almost certainly killed in action on the first day at Iwo, his death was not confirmed until 20 February. In a sworn statement, PFC John H. Stokes (K/3/25) recalled:
“I saw First Lieutenant Camien’s dead body on 20 February 1945. He was lying about thirty yards from the water’s edge, and I could see that he was mortally wounded in the chest and stomach. I can truthfully say that Lieutenant Camien was dead.”
Although Camien’s death was verified, the disposition of his remains is currently unknown.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; identifiable remains not recovered.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of wife, Mrs. Cora Mae (Kuhn) Camien, and daughter Susan Elizabeth Camien
Location Of Loss
Camien’s battalion was operating in the Blue Beach area of Iwo Jima.
