Henry Pierson Crowe Henry Pierson Crowe ( 1899 – 1991 ) was a legendary Marine of the Korean War , World War II , the banana wars , and World War I Biography . Henry " Jim " Pierson Crowe was born 7 March 1899 , in Boston , Kentucky the fourth of the five children of Samuel Lee Crowe ( 1865 – 1921 ) and Alvada T . Crowe ( 1868 – 1942 ) . After attending high school at Mount Pulaski , Illinois for three years , he entered the Marine Corps on 28 October 1918 . After boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island , he served in port security at Brest , France under General Smedley D . Butler ( after the World War I Armistice ) , returned as a Private First Class , and was discharged December , 1919 . He reenlisted in 1921 . He served in the Dominican Republic ( 1921 – 1923 ) , in Nicaragua ( 1928 ) , and at various other posts and stations . He was also a frequent participant in local and national shooting competitions , winning the coveted Distinguished Marksman Medal in 1927 . Appointed a Marine Gunner ( a warrant officer rank ) in September 1934 , he served on Pacific maneuvers and at several stations in the United States during the next two years . He embarked for China in October 1936 , and after three years with the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy , Peiping , he returned to the U . S . in October 1939 , to join the 6th Marine Regiment at San Diego , California . He was transferred to the 8th Marine Regiment in April 1940 , and was promoted to Chief Marine Gunner in February 1941 . Chief Marine Gunner Crowe embarked with the 8th Marines for Samoa in January 1942 , and the following month was promoted from chief gunner to captain . He was promoted to major in March 1943 and to lieutenant colonel in January 1944 . He commanded the regimental weapons company of the 8th Marines at Guadalcanal , where he was awarded both a Silver ( U . S . Army ) and Bronze Star Medal . He said there ( 13 January 1943 ) " You ' ll never get a Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole ! Follow me ! " He commanded 2d Battalion , 8th Marines , at Tarawa and Saipan . At Tarawa , his battalion landed from USS Heywood ( APA - 6 ) on Beach Red - 3 . He was awarded the Navy Cross and British Distinguished Service Cross at Tarawa , and the Purple Heart with Gold Star in lieu of a second award for wounds received at Saipan . Lieutenant Colonel Crowe served with the 8th Marines in New Zealand and Hawaii before he returned to the United States in September 1944 , for treatment of wounds sustained at Saipan . He was released from the U . S . Naval Hospital at San Diego in March 1945 , and the following month was named Training Officer of Fleet Marine Force , Pacific , at Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii . After the war ’ s end , LtCol Crowe served briefly with the 29th Marines in China , and with Marine Garrison Forces , 14th Naval District , at Pearl Harbor . He returned to the United States in March 1946 , and after duty at San Diego and Quantico , Virginia , entered the Senior Course in the Amphibious Warfare School at Quantico in September 1947 . He completed the course in May 1948 , and reported to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton , California , the following month . There , he served as a battalion executive officer , as division special services officer , played himself in a cameo in the film " Sands of Iwo Jima " and was executive officer of the 1st Shore Party Battalion before taking command of the unit in July 1950 . He arrived in Japan in August 1950 to assist in preparations for the Inchon landing in Korea . He remained with the 1st Shore Party Battalion , 1st Marine Division from September 1950 to May 1951 and was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat “ V ” for outstanding service during the Inchon - Seoul Campaign and Wonsan landing . He returned to the United States in May 1951 . Lieutenant Colonel Crowe was promoted to colonel in December 1951 , while serving as Chief of the Tactical School Section , Troop Training Unit , Amphibious Training Command , at Coronado , California . He later served there as Chief of the Administrative Schools Section before assuming command of the Headquarters and Service Battalion at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego , in January 1953 . He was assigned additional duties as a technical advisor for the movie Battle Cry ( December 1953 – June 1954 ) . Following his detachment from San Diego , he completed his final tour of duty June 1957 to March 1960 , as Commanding Officer , Marine Barracks , Norfolk Naval Shipyard , Portsmouth , Virginia . Colonel Crowe retired from active duty 1 March 1960 after 40 years service in the Marine Corps , including 14 and a half years as an enlisted man and seven and a half years as a warrant officer . He passed away on 27 June 1991 in Portsmouth after a long illness . As he had instructed , his remains were cremated and his ashes scattered at sea . He was memorialized in the Tarawa diorama at the Marine Corps Museum , then in the Washington Navy Yard , that depicted him standing on the coconut log seawall . In addition to the decorations already mentioned , Col Crowe ’ s awards also include the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with three bronze stars ; the Good Conduct Medal with three bronze stars ; the World War I Victory Medal ; the Expeditionary Medal ; the Second Dominican Campaign Medal ; the Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal ; the China Service Medal ; the American Defense Service Medal ; the Asiatic - Pacific Area Campaign Medal with three bronze stars ; the World War II Victory Medal ; the National Defense Service Medal ; the Korean Service Medal with three bronze stars and the United Nations Service Medal .