b. 29/01/1925 Racine, Wisconsin. d. 07/07/1944 Saipan, Marianas Islands.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 07/07/1944 Saipan, Marianas Islands.
Harold C Agerholm MOH
Agerholm was born January 29, 1925 in Racine, Wisconsin and attended schools in the Racine Unified School District. After working for five months as a multigraph operator for the Rench Manufacturing Company (now Racine Industries, Inc), he joined the Marine Corps Reserve on July 16, 1942.
Agerholm received his recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. Upon completion of his training he was assigned to Headquarters and Service Battery, 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division. Agerholm embarked for overseas duty on November 3, 1942 to New Zealand, where he trained with his battalion in Wellington for eleven months.
In January 1943, Agerholm was promoted to private first class and apppointed the battery store room keeper. He took part in the fighting on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, in November 1943. After the end of hostilities on Tarawa, Agerholm went with the 2nd Marine Division to the Hawaiian Islands, where they trained for the forthcoming invasion of Saipan.
Agerholm landed on Saipan June 9, 1944, three days after the D-Day invasion in Europe. Initially buried in the 2nd Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan, PFC Agerholm’s remains were reinterred in Mound Cemetery in Racine in 1947. A duplicate of his Medal of Honor is displayed at the Racine Veterans Legacy Museum, Racine, Wisconsin.
MOH CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Marianas Islands, July 7, 1944. When the enemy launched a fierce, determined counterattack against our positions and overran a neighboring artillery battalion, PFC Agerholm immediately volunteered to assist in the efforts to check the hostile attack and evacuate our wounded. Locating and appropriating an abandoned ambulance jeep, he repeatedly made extremely perilous trips under heavy rifle and mortar fire and single-handedly loaded and evacuated approximately forty-five casualties, working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety during a grueling period of more than three hours. Despite intense, persistent enemy fire, he ran out to aid two men whom he believed to be wounded Marines but was himself mortally wounded by a Japanese sniper while carrying out his hazardous mission.
BURIAL LOCATION: MOUND CEMETERY, RACINE, WISCONSIN.
Block 4-E, Lot 8, Grave 4
LOCATION OF MEDAL: RACINE VETERANS LEGACY MUSEUM (DUPLICATE MEDAL), RACINE, WISCONSIN.
