John Wayne Shields

Hospital Apprentice John Shields served as a medical corpsman attached to the Third Battalion, 8th Marines. For administrative purposes, he was carried on the rolls of Headquarters Company (and possibly served with the battalion’s aid station) but may have gone into combat with any one of the platoons of Item, King, Love, or Mike Company.

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. The boats of the first wave hung up on a coral reef; Marines were dropped into deep water and forced to wade ashore. Waves Two and Three were driven west and landed on the long central pier. Parts of Wave Four and Five wound up on Beach Red 2. Due to intense fire and poor communications, the remainder of the battalion were held at sea out of small-arms range until later in the afternoon.

“Doc” Shields was one of hundreds who lost their lives on the first day of the battle for Tarawa. Although he was confirmed as killed in action, no eyewitness accounts of his final moments are known.