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night of
October 4, 1944. Stationed with another Marine in an advanced position when a Japanese hand grenade landed in his foxhole, Private First Class Phelps instantly shouted a warning to his comrade and rolled over on the deadly bomb, absorbing with his own Body the full, shattering impact of the exploding charge. Courageous and indomitable, Private First Class Phelps fearlessly gave his life that another might be spared serious injury and his great valor and heroic devotion to duty in the face of certain death reflected the highest credit upon himself and the
273:. After nineteen days of bitter and costly fighting, the night of October 4, 1944 found Company K strung out along the military crest of one of the coral mountains for which Peleliu is noted. With the Marines on one slope of the hill and the Japanese on the opposite slope, rifles became useless and a series of hand grenade battles took place over a period of several days. During the night of the fourth the enemy launched a particularly vicious counterattack. PFC Phelps and a fellow Marine were in a foxhole when a Japanese grenade landed with a thud between them.
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For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Third
Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Peleliu Island, Palau Group, during a savage hostile counterattack on the
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Private First Class Phelps shouted, "Look out, Shipley!" then unhesitatingly rolled over on the grenade, taking the full force of the explosion with his own body. Phelps was killed while PFC Richard
Shipley received only a small scratch.
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204:, Kentucky, elementary schools and graduated from Horse Branch High School in 1942. Radio was his hobby and he had built some one-tube sets. Deciding to turn his hobby into an occupation, he went to school in
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The Medal of Honor was presented to his mother in Rosine, Kentucky, on April 26, 1946, by the
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Private First Class Phelps was initially buried in the United States Armed Forces
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Although he was the sole support of his aged parents who owned and operated a 70-acre (280,000 m) farm with his help, he was called up by the
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238:, Pvt Phelps was assigned to the Signal Battalion at the Marine Base at San Diego for one month and then was transferred to the
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444:"PFC Wesley Phelps, Medal of Honor, 1944, 3/7/1, Peleliu Island (Medal of Honor citation)"
381:"PFC Wesley Phelps, Medal of Honor, 1944, 3/7/1, Peleliu Island (Medal of Honor citation)"
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Wesley Phelps was born in Neafus, Kentucky on June 12, 1923. He was educated in the
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450:. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from
387:. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from
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takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
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initially the United States Armed Forces
Cemetery on Peleliu
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United States Marine Corps personnel killed in World War II
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for his heroic actions and sacrifice of life during the
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later reinterred in Rosine
Cemetery, Rosine, Kentucky
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United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients
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for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
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356:List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
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429:. History Division, United States Marine Corps
173:(June 12, 1923 – October 4, 1944) was a
499:World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor
318:. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
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423:"Private First Class Wesley Phelps, USMCR"
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244:Browning Heavy Machine Gun, 30 caliber
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236:Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
448:Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
412:from websites or documents of the
385:Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
306:UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
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494:People from Ohio County, Kentucky
427:Who's Who in Marine Corps History
351:List of Medal of Honor recipients
303:PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WESLEY PHELPS
408: This article incorporates
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246:, and was classified as a heavy
297:President of the United States
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316:United States Naval Service
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414:United States Marine Corps
252:3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
221:United States Marine Corps
219:and was inducted into the
120:3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
92:United States Marine Corps
271:Peleliu Island operation
260:Cape Gloucester campaign
291:Medal of Honor citation
504:Deaths by hand grenade
410:public domain material
489:United States Marines
225:Indianapolis, Indiana
223:on April 9, 1943, in
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175:United States Marine
256:1st Marine Division
210:Lexington, Kentucky
206:Owensboro, Kentucky
124:1st Marine Division
110:Private First Class
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433:2007-10-27
362:References
78:Allegiance
32:1923-06-12
232:boot camp
196:Biography
101:1943–1944
329:See also
240:Infantry
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40:Kentucky
38:Neafus,
400:General
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