Corporal Elroy Tuttle, United States Marine Corps Raider, was killed in action on April 15th, 1945 on Okinawa Island. A War Department telegram said he was killed in the performance of his duty and in service to his country.

Elroy Tuttle entered the service Sept. 20th, 1943 and after training at Camp Pendleton in California he was sent overseas. He took part in the battles of Emeru, Roto, Saipan, Tinian and Guam. At Guam he was wounded just 20 hours after hitting the beach. Upon his recovery, he returned to Guadalcanal to train reserves for the mission in which he was killed in action. Accompanied Tuttle in death was six of his officers and 56 enlisted men.

Elroy Tuttle was born at Dorchester on Valentine’s Day of 1926. He attended schools in Marshing. He graduated from the grade school and had two years of high school training.

He was survived by his father, Claude and a sister, Bonnie Lu. In a letter, received the Friday before his death notice, Cpl. Tuttle wrote that “everything is O.K.”

At his memorial service held in the VFW hall in Marshfield, Lloyd Smith sang “Sleep Soldier Boy” and the audience sang “Our Country” in closing. The Marshfield News Herald reported that a “large crowd was in attendance.”

Written by:

Krista Steinke

East Junior High School