George Phillips

:"For the Spanish American War Medal of Honor recipient, see George Frederick Phillips (1862-1904)."Infobox Military Person
name= George Phillips
born= birth date|1926|7|14
died= death date and age|1945|3|14|1926|7|14
placeofbirth= Bates County, Missouri
placeofdeath= KIA on Iwo Jima
placeofburial=Initially the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima *Reinterred in Bethel Cemetery, Labadie, Missouri


caption= George Phillips, Medal of Honor recipients
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=United States Marine Corps
serviceyears= 1945
rank= Private
commands=
unit= 2nd Battalion 28th Marines
battles= World War II *Battle of Iwo Jima
awards= Medal of Honor Purple Heart
laterwork=
Private George Phillips (14 July 1926 – 14 March 1945) was a United States Marine who sacrificed his life to save the lives of fellow Marines on Iwo Jima. For giving up his life to protect others, Pvt Phillips was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Biography

George Phillips was born in Bates County, Missouri on 14 July 1926, and worked on the railroad before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps on 25 April 1944.

During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, Pvt Phillips sacrificed his life by smothering a hand grenade to save the lives of fellow Marines. For this action, he was awarded his nation's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. The decoration was received by his uncle, with whom Pvt Phillips had formerly resided.

Initially buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, Pvt Phillips' remains were reinterred in Bethel Cemetery, Labadie, Missouri, in 1948.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
PRIVATE GEORGE PHILLIPS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
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 Second Battalion, Twenty-eight Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, on 14 March 1945. Standing the 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. Stouthearted 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

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Iwo Jima

References

:Marine Corps
*cite web|accessdate=2007-10-11
url=http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Phillips_G.htm
title=Private George Phillips, USMC
work=Who's Who in Marine Corps History
publisher=History Division, United States Marine Corps

*cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.usmc.mil/moh.nsf/000003c919889c0385255f980058f5b6/0000033ba9f47a7385255fa40061a712?OpenDocument
title=Pvt George Phillips, Medal of Honor, 1945, 2/28/4, Iwo Jima (Medal of Honor citation)
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070220211931/http://www.usmc.mil/moh.nsf/000003c919889c0385255f980058f5b6/0000033ba9f47a7385255fa40061a712?OpenDocument
archivedate=2007-02-20
work=Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor
publisher=United States Marine Corps

Persondata
NAME= Phillips, George
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH= 14 July, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH= Bates County, Missouri
DATE OF DEATH= 14 March, 1945
PLACE OF DEATH= KIA at Iwo Jima