FRANK P WITEK MEDAL OF HONOR MEMORIAL GRAVESTONE

WHILE SERVING WITH THE 1ST BATTALION, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARINE DIVISION, DURING THE BATTLE OF FINEGAYEN AT GUAM, MARIANAS, ON 3 AUGUST 1944, WHEN HIS RIFLE PLATOON WAS HALTED BY HEAVY SURPRISE FIRE FROM WELL-CAMOUFAGED ENEMY POSITIONS, PFC. WITEK DARINGLY REMAINED STANDING TO FIRE A FULL MAGAZINE FROM HIS AUTOMATIC AT POINT-BLANK RANGE INTO A DEPRESSION HOUSING JAPANESE TROOPS, KILLING 8 OF THE ENEMY AND ENABLING THE GREATER PART OF HIS PLATOON TO TAKE COVER. DURING HIS PLATOON’S WITHDRAWAL FOR CONSOLIDATION OF LINES, HE REMAINED TO SAFEGUARD A SEVERELY WOUNDED COMRADE, COURAGEOUSLY RETURNING THE ENEMY’S FIRE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF STRETCHER BEARERS, AND THEN COVERING THE EVACUATION BY SUSTAINED FIRE AS HE MOVED BACKWARD TOWARD HIS OWN LINES. WITH HIS PLATOON AGAIN PINNED DOWN BY A HOSTILE MACHINEGUN, PFC. WITEK ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, MOVED FORWARD BOLDLY TO THE REINFORCING TANKS AND INFANTRY, ALTERNATELY THROWING HAND GRENADES AND FIRING AS HE ADVANCED TO WITHIN 5 TO 10 YARDS OF THE ENEMY POSITION, AND DESTROYING THE HOSTILE MACHINEGUN EMPLACEMENT AND AN ADDITIONAL 8 JAPANESE BEFORE HE HIMSELF WAS STRUCK DOWN BY AN ENEMY RIFLEMAN, HIS VALIANT AND INSPIRING ACTION EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THE ENEMY’S FIREPOWER, THEREBY ENABLING HIS PLATOON TO ATTAIN ITS OBJECTIVE, AND REFLECTS THE HIGHEST CREDIT UPON PFC. WITEK AND THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE. HE GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.