Evening star., 1945-05-05
Heroic Saipan Action
Wins Navy Cross
For Col. Tompkins

1t. Col. Rathvon McC. Tompkins
of 1104 North Pitt street, Alexan-
dria, Va. recently was presented the
Navy Cross for heroic action in
Saipan. The presentation was made
by Gen. Alexander A. Vandergrift,
Marine commandant.
Col. Tompkins personally led bril-
liant attack against three vital OBJ
jectives during the Saipan cam
paign, the citation said. He also
holds the Silver Star Medal for
action in the Tarawa campaign.
Col. Homer L. Litzenberg, jr., of
6406 Beachwood drive, Chevy Chase,
Md, has been awarded the Silver
Star for "gallantry and intrepidity"
as executive officer of a Marine as
sault combat team during the seizure
of Roi-Namur Island, Kwajalein.
His citation said he landed under
heavy mortar and machine-gun fire.
He is a veteran of Saipan and
Tinian and also participated in the
North African campaign.
1t. Col. Wallace M. Greene, jr., of
3709 Brandywine street NV, has
been presented the Gold Star in lieu
of second Legion of Merit.
The award was made for "excep-
tionally meritorious service as as
sistant chief of staff, operations
officer, while with a Marine divi-
sion during actions on Saipan and
Tinian." Col. Greene is a veteran
of Kwajalein and Eniwetok in the
Marshalls.
1t. Col. Howard v. Hiett of 3063
South Woodrow street, Harrington,
Va. has received the Legion of
Merit, it was recently announced,
for exceptionally meritorious con-
duct as Marine artillery battalion
executive officer at Guadalcanal
and Tarawa and as a regimental
operations officer at Saipan."
He was wounded by sniper fire
during the latter action.
1t. Col. Arnold F. Johnston of
5000 North Twenty-f1fth road,
Va, has been awarded
the Legion of Merit for action on
TaraWa, the Marine Corps has
The citation stated that when
the observer on the observation
plane operating from the flagship
was wounded, Col. Johnston volun-
tarily replaced him and assisted in
spotting enemy gun positions.
Col. Johnston also holds the Silver
Star Medal and Purple Heart with
Cluster.
lst 1t. Anthony J. P. Cont, 14l4
N street NV. was awarded the
Navy Cross recently, it has been
disclosed. According to the Marine
Corps citation, he remained in
action although wounded twice, and
destroyed a Jap machinegun nest
with hand grenades on Guam"
Maj. Charles F. Widdecke, 18
Thirty fifth street NE, has been
awarded the Navy Cross, it was an
He personally led his
in a charge against a diff
cult Jap position on Guam and was
afterward wounded" the Marine
Corps citation stated.
Capt. Alfred Skowronek, 3712
Bladensburg road, Brentwood, Md,
recently received the Silver Star for
conspicuous gallantry" on Saipan.
He led rear echelon unit
through confused battle area to
give vital aid to his battalion on
he front lines the Marine Corps
citation stated. Capt. Skowronek
Vas wounded at Guadalcanal and
S also a veteran of the Tarawa
Col. Burton E. Vaughan, whose
wife lives at 3130 Wisconsin avenue
NV, was awarded the Legion of
Merit at retreat ceremonies held re-
Gently at Running, China, for "meri-
torious conduct in the performance
Of outstanding services as chief OF
the procurement section of the Serv-
ices of Supply Headquarters, Chipa
theater, from November II, 1943, to
August IA, 1914"
Col. Vaughan, as chief of the CEN
tral purchasing and procurement
authority, SOS, is in charge of all
purchasing operations of the Army