Louis J . Hauge , Jr . Corporal Louis James Hauge , Jr . ( December 12 , 1924 – May 14 , 1945 ) was a United States Marine who posthumous ly received his nation ' s highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II . Biography . Louis Hauge , Jr . was born on December 12 , 1924 in Ada , Minnesota . He was active in all athletics , but left high school after his first year and worked in a canning factory in Ada , where he became assistant foreman . He later was employed by a ship yard in Tacoma , Washington as a painter . He was inducted into the Marine Corps Reserve on April 23 , 1943 and completed light - machine gun school at Camp Elliott , California before serving with the 1st Marine Division at New Caledonia and New Guinea . Later , he saw combat action on Peleliu as a message runner with Headquarters Company , 1st Battalion , 1st Marines . In this capacity , he distinguished himself for his bravery under fire and was given a meritorious promotion to corporal . Corporal Hauge was killed in action on May 14 , 1945 , while serving on Okinawa as a member of the 1st Marine Division . For his heroic actions on that day , he was awarded the Medal of Honor . At the time of his death , Cpl Hauge was squad leader of a machine gun squad in Southern Okinawa engaged in an assault against a heavily fortified Japanese hill . It was during the evening that the left flank of Company C , 1st Battalion , 1st Marines , was pinned down by a barrage of mortar and machine gun fire . The enemy was pouring enfilade fire into the ranks of the Marines . Quickly spotting the two guns responsible for the damage , Cpl Hauge boldly rushed across an open area , heaving hand grenade s as he ran . Wounded before he reached the first gun , he nevertheless continued his one - man assault and completely destroyed the position . Without stopping , he pushed forward and attacked the second gun with grenades and demolished it before falling from the deadly fire of the Japanese sniper s . Inspired by his actions , his company rose from their besieged position and pressed home the attack . The award was presented to his father on June 14 , 1946 by Col Norman E . True , USMC , who represented the Commandant of the Marine Corps . Corporal Hauge ' s remains were eventually returned to the United States and interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu , Hawaii . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CORPORAL LOUIS J . HAUGE , JR . UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / HARRY S . TRUMAN Honors . The United States Navy Container & Roll - on / Roll - off Ship , , commissioned on September 7 , 1984 , is named in honor of Cpl Hauge . This ship is the lead ship of its class of five Maritime Prepositioning Ships ( MPS ) . The Cpl Louis J . Hauge , Jr . - class is the original class of MPS ships chartered by Military Sealift Command . A Marine Corps installation on the island of Okinawa was named Camp Louis J . Hauge Jr . During the Vietnam War , Camp Hauge served as a staging installation for Marines in transit to and from Vietnam . The camp was decommissioned following the return of Okinawa to the Japanese government .