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Mark Roy Robertson

Corporal Mark R. Robertson served with Charlie Company, First Battalion, 6th Marines.
He was killed in action at Betio, Tarawa atoll, on 22 November 1943.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 290190

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

September 23, 1920
at Yakima, WA

Parents

Mark Robert Robertson
Isadore Eileen Robertson

Education

Yakima High School (1938)

Occupation & Employer

Salesman

Service Life

Entered Service

July 24, 1920
at Seattle, WA

Home Of Record

Route 7
Yakima, WA

Next Of Kin

Father, Mr. Mark Robertson

Military Specialty

Primary Unit

C/1/6th Marines

Campaigns Served

Guadalcanal (with B/1/6th Marines)
Tarawa

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Corporal Mark Robertson served with the First Battalion, 6th Marines during their deployment to Iceland and in the battle for Guadalcanal. He joined Company C about six weeks before the Tarawa campaign.

On the evening of 21 November 1943, Robertson’s battalion landed from rubber boats on Beach Green, the westernmost point of Betio. They spent the night under sporadic Japanese fire and endured a bombing raid before advancing eastward on the morning of 22 November. Charlie Company suffered comparatively light casualties in their two days of combat – but Corporal Roberston was one of the unlucky ones. He suffered multiple shrapnel wounds to the head, chest, and back, and died somewhere near Beach Green on 22 November.

Burial Information or Disposition

Robertson was buried in a mass grave known as “2nd Marines Cemetery #1” or “Beach Green Cemetery C.” A total of thirteen Marines were interred there; Robertson was the sixth man in the row.

Unfortunately, “Cemetery C” was poorly marked and not clearly recorded on any maps of Betio. It was destroyed or built over during the occupation of the island; all of the men buried there, including Mark Robertson, were declared permanently non-recoverable.

The exact location of “Cemetery C” is a mystery to this day.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of father, Mr. Mark Robertson.

Location Of Loss

Corporal Robertson was killed in action at an unspecified location on western Betio.

Betio Casualties From This Company​

(Recently accounted for or still non-recovered)
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