Pvt. George “Junior O’Brien” Phillips, United States Marine Corps
Born July 14, 1926 in Rich Hill, Missouri, a small town south of Kansas City, Missouri. Both parents were killed in an automobile accident when he was three years old. He and his siblings were raised by their aunt and uncle, James and Lillian O’Brien, in Labadie, Missouri. He attended school at the United Methodist Church in Labadie. His ambition was to be a big league baseball player. He worked for various farmers in the area and for Shell Oil Pipeline Co. as a painter prior to his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps on April 26, 1944 at the age of 17. He went to boot camp at San Diego, CA. He was subsequently assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division.
Pvt. George Phillips was initially interred in the 5th Marine Division cemetery on Iwo Jima and was later reinterred in Bethel cemetery, Labadie, Missouri.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION OF PRIVATE GEORGE PHILLIPS, USMC
Source: United States Marine Corps, History Division
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
Private George Phillips, USMCR
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Second Battalion, Twenty-Eighth Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, on 14 March 1945. Standing fox-hole watch while other members of his squad rested after a night of bitter hand grenade fighting against infiltrating Japanese troops, Private Phillips was the only member of his unit alerted when an enemy hand grenade was tossed into their midst. Instantly shouting a warning, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the deadly missile, absorbing the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body and protecting his comrades from serious injury. Stout-hearted and indomitable, Private Phillips willingly yielded his own life that his fellow Marines might carry on the relentless battle against a fanatic enemy and his superb valor and unfaltering spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon himself and upon the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
/S/ Harry S. Truman
Letters Home
Below are two letters that Pvt. George “Junior O’Brien” Phillips wrote home prior to shipping out for Iwo Jima. They were generously given to the Pvt. George Phillips Detachment by the family of George Phillips. The letters provide an interesting glimpse into Marine Corps life while prepping for war.
A young(er) George Phillips
Also given to the Detachment by George Phillips’ family was the below newspaper clipping, showing George as a child in Labadie, MO.