Frank P . Witek Private First Class Frank Peter Witek ( December 10 , 1921 – August 3 , 1944 ) was a United States Marine who was killed in action on August 3 , 1944 , in the Battle of Finegayan , Guam . For his heroism and sacrifice of life , he was posthumous ly awarded the Medal of Honor . He was the 28th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II . Biography . Frank Peter Witek was born on December 10 , 1921 , in Derby , Connecticut . He was of Polish ancestry . When he was 9 , the family moved to Chicago . It was there he finished his student days at Crane Technical High School and went to work at the Standard Transformer Company . On January 20 , 1942 , he left for recruit training after enlisting in the United States Marine Corps . He left almost immediately for Pearl Harbor and in January 1943 , his family heard from him while he was in New Zealand . From there he went to Bougainville where he fought in three major battles . Then he went to Guadalcanal for a rest . On July 21 , 1944 , the 3rd Marine Division invaded Guam . PFC Witek was a Browning automatic rifleman and scout behind the Japanese lines . On September 8 , 1944 , his mother received a telegram from Washington informing her that her son had been killed on August 3 . According to a combat correspondent ' s release , he was slain at the battle of the Mount Santa Rosa road block . He had only eight cartridges left out of an original 240 rounds when he was found . On Sunday , May 20 , 1945 , 50 , 000 people , including his mother and Gen Alexander A . Vandegrift , Commandant of the Marine Corps , met in Soldier Field , Chicago , to do honor to his memory . PFC Frank Peter Witek , 23 years old , had earned the highest military award his country could give him — the Medal of Honor . Initially buried in the Army , Navy , and Marine Corps Cemetery on Guam , PFC Witek ' s remains were reinterred in the Rock Island National Cemetery , Rock Island , Illinois , in 1949 . Medal of Honor citation . The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to PRIVATE FIRST CLASS FRANK P . WITEK UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE for service as set forth in the following CITATION : For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the First Battalion , Ninth Marines , Third Marine Division , during the Battle of Finegayan at Guam , Marianas , on 3 August 1944 . When his rifle platoon was halted by heavy surprise fire from well camouflage d enemy positions , Private First Class Witek daringly remained standing to fire a full magazine from his automatic point - blank range into a depression housing Japanese troops , killing eight of the enemy and enabling the greater part of his platoon to take cover . During his platoon ' s withdrawal for consolidation of lines , he remained to safeguard a severely wounded comrade , courageously returning the enemy ' s fire until the arrival of stretcher bearers and then covering the evacuation by sustained fire as he moved backward toward his own lines . With his platoon again pinned down by a hostile machine - gun , Private First Class Witek , on his own initiative , moved forward boldly ahead of the reinforcing tanks and infantry , alternately throwing hand grenade s and firing as he advanced to within five to ten yards of the enemy position , destroying the hostile machine - gun emplacement and an additional eight Japanese before he , himself , was struck down by an enemy rifleman . His valiant and inspiring action effectively reduced the enemy ' s firepower , thereby enabling his platoon to attain its objective , and reflects the highest credit upon Private First Class Witek and the United States Naval Service . He gallantly gave his life for his country . / S / FRANKLIN D . ROOSEVELT