This cemetery consisted of a single marker for “Steve Molnar.”
The identity of “Molnar” is a mystery, as there were no Tarawa casualties – killed or wounded – by that name. There were, however, two “Stephen Molnars” present during the battle: PFC Stephen Frank Molnar (B/1/2nd Marines) and Private Stephen (nmi) Molnar (C/2nd Tank Battalion). While neither man was reported as a casualty, author William Niven advances the plausible theory that the man buried in Cemetery 36 may have been misidentified as one of these Molnars.
The 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company does not make any reference to this burial in their unit report. Any remains found here were ultimately identified, as there is no current Betio X-file associated with Cemetery 36.
Note: Stephen Frank Molnar survived Tarawa but not the war. He was killed in action on Saipan, 23 June 1944.
