John P . Fardy John Peter Fardy ( August 15 , 1922 – May 7 , 1945 ) was a United States Marine who was killed in action during World War II . His heroic action , resulting in mortal wounds , on May 6 , 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa were recognized with the Medal of Honor , the nation ' s highest honor . Early years . John Peter Fardy was born in Chicago Illinois , on August 15 , 1922 . Educated in the schools of Chicago , he graduated from high school in 1940 . He took a course in typing at the Fox Secretarial College the same year and entered the Illinois Institute of Technology the following year . He majored in mechanical engineering but left after the first year . He had been doing time study work previously , so he went to work at the Cornell Forge Company as a time study man and draftsman . Marine Corps career . Inducted into the Marine Corps on May 8 , 1943 , he went through recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego , California , upon completion of which he was assigned to the Japanese Language School at his own request . He was promoted to private first class in July , about two weeks before the start of school . After one month of attendance at the language school at Camp Elliott , San Diego , PFC Fardy was transferred to the Infantry Battalion where he was trained as an automatic rifleman . Private First Class Fardy joined the 29th Replacement Battalion shortly before the unit left the United States on October 28 , 1943 . He journeyed to Nouméa , New Caledonia , and was reassigned to the 27th Replacement Battalion , which was leaving to join the 1st Marine Division . Attached to Company C , 1st Battalion , 1st Marines upon his arrival at Goodenough Island , D ' Entrecasteaux Islands , early in December 1943 , PFC Fardy left with that unit about a week later for Nascing , Alatu , New Guinea . The stay there was a short one also , for the 1st Marines left Finschaffen on Christmas Day 1943 , for their December 26 landing on enemy - held Cape Gloucester , New Britain . Within two months of the time he left his home shores , the former draftsman was involved in a battle for an enemy airdrome on an island rarely heard of before . Following the Cape Gloucester operation , and the return of the 1st Marine Division to the Russell Islands for over three months training , the division left for Peleliu . After practice landings at Guadalcanal , the division landed on the coral - studded , shadeless Peleliu . PFC Fardy participated in the capture of the airport and the attack on the coral hills overlooking it before returning to the Russell Islands with his regiment in early October . Promoted to Corporal on December 21 , 1944 , the veteran of two campaigns became a squad leader as the reorganized division started training for the next operation . The training ashore ended in February and the Marines embarked aboard the ships that took them for practice landings at Baniki ( Russell Islands ) , Guadalcanal , and Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands . The landing on Okinawa occurred on Easter Sunday , April 1 , 1945 and the division ' s sweep across the island up to the northern tip was accomplished with comparative ease . Later , Marines were moved south to help hard - pressed Army troops . It was on May 6 , 1945 when Company C was advancing against a strongly fortified , fanatically - defended Japanese position that Cpl Fardy ' s squad was suddenly brought under heavy small - arms fire . Cpl Fardy temporarily deployed his men along a convenient drainage ditch . Shortly afterwards , an enemy hand grenade landed in the ditch , falling among the pinned - down Marines . Instantly , the 21 - year - old corporal flung himself upon the grenade and absorbed the exploding charge with his own body . Taken to a field hospital , Cpl Fardy died the next day . The Medal of Honor was presented to Corporal Fardy ' s parents at ceremonies conducted by the Marine Corps League in Chicago , September 15 , 1946 . Reinterment services for Cpl Fardy , with military honors by the Chicago Detachment of the Marine Corps League , were held on April 7 , 1949 , at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CORPORAL JOHN P . FARDY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS for service as set forth in the following CITATION : / S / HARRY S . TRUMAN