Kenneth Francis Mannix
PFC Kenneth F. Mannix served with Item Company, Third Battalion, 8th Marines.
He was killed in action at Betio, Tarawa atoll, on 20 November 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 474248
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 9, 1924
at White Plains, NY
Parents
James Alexander Mannix
Carolyn “Carrie” (Ager) Mannix
Education
Details unknown
Occupation & Employer
Details unknown
Service Life
Entered Service
November 10, 1942
at New York, NY
Home Of Record
285 South Lexington Ave
White Plains, NY
Next Of Kin
Parents, James & Carolyn Mannix
Military Specialty
—
Primary Unit
I/3/8th Marines
Campaigns Served
Tarawa
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
PFC Kenneth Mannix served with Item Company, 8th Marines in the battle of Tarawa.
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. Item Company approached in the fourth wave; one boat was hit causing “considerable casualties,” and the rest pulled back and attempted to land on Beach Red 2. They intermingled with the fifth wave, grounded on the coral reef, and once again took casualties. The surviving boats waited in the water outside of small-arms range, and finally managed to disembark the rest of Item Company between 1630 and 1800 hours. Those who reached shore were attached to battered Love Company and participated in an attack south towards the main airfield.
PFC Mannix was one of hundreds of Marines to lose his life on the first day of the battle. He was killed in action by gunshot wounds during the landing operation; no further details of his death are known.
Burial Information or Disposition
Two days after his death, Mannix was reportedly buried in “2nd Marine Division Cemetery #5.” This notation appears to be unique to BLT 3-8; eight of their Marines were supposedly buried there. Of these, three have since been identified from other known cemeteries.
| Name (Unit) | "Cemetery 5" Burial | Alternate Burial (Source) | Recovered From |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Donald D. Voorheis (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 2” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Kenneth F. Mannix (I/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 3” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Victor J. Gaviglia (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 5” |
East Division Cemetery, Row A, Grave 21 (USMC casualty card) |
Cemetery 33 (Unknown X-107) 1946 Expedition |
|
Freeman C. Woolsey (I/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 8” |
[none] |
Unconfirmed; believed to be 33 or 26 (Unknown X-4) 1946 Expedition |
|
Duane O. Cole (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 9” |
Central Division Cemetery, Row B, Grave 26 (USMC casualty card) |
Cemetery 26 area History Fight 2014 Expedition |
|
John D. Reynolds (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 10” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
Clifford A. Winkler (M/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 12” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
|
William A. Parks, Jr. (K/3/8) |
“Row A, Grave 13” |
[none] |
Not Recovered |
Interestingly, all of these Marines appear on a post-battle report written up by Chaplain W. Wyeth Willard of the 8th Marines. Willard notes that he received twelve names from on Private Steven Yontz, who “took the identification tags from their bodies and placed them in the hands of a Marine colonel.”
These Marines may have been buried either in the East Division or Central Division cemeteries – as with Gaviglia and Cole – but without additional records, it is impossible to say for certain. PFC Mannix may be among the remains recovered from these locations and still awaiting identification, or he may still lie somewhere on the island of Betio.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of parents, James & Carolyn Mannix.
Location Of Loss
Mannix’s battalion landed at various locations between Beach Red 2 and Red 3.
