Name:
Richard Edward Kraus
Rank:
Private First Class
Serial Number:
Unit:
8th Amphibian Tractor Battalion
Date of Death:
1944-10-05
State:
Minnesota
Cemetery:
Ft. Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota
Plot:
DS
Row:
Grave:
61A
Decoration:
Medal of HonorPurple Heart
Comments:
Richard Edward Kraus enlisted in the Marine Corps from Minnesota when he turned 18. He first saw combat at the Battle of Peleliu where he was an amphibious tractor driver. At that battle, he volunteered to go on a mission to rescue a wounded Marine from the line. On the way, the rescue party took a heavy barrage of grenades and had no choice but to turn around. On the way back, a Japanese soldier snuck up and dropped a grenade directly in the middle of the rescue party. Kraus jumped on the grenade, saving the lives of his fellow Marines. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.