BUNN, Benjamin Maurice "Bennie", Lt. 1905-1943

BUNN, MALA

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/9/2010 at 18:20:22

#1:

CHARLES CITY, IOWA — Lt. B. M. Bunn, 36, a first marine raider, and recipient of the coveted navy cross in 1942 for heroism, has been killed in action, local relatives have been informed.

He received other awards for expert rifle and pistol shooting.

The Charles Cityan joined the marine corps 16 years ago, and was sent to Pearl Harbor last year.

Lieutenant Bunn is survived by his wife, Mercedes Mala Bunn, San Diego, Cal.; father, Henry Bunn, Charles City; mother, Mrs. Lee Wayne, Valparaiso, Ind.; sister, Mrs. Bea Pickeli, Ames; brother. Clifford Bunn, Charles City.

[ Waterloo Courier, Tuesday, August 3, 1943 ]

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#2:

Charles City Marine Burial at San Diego

Charles City, Iowa - Reburial services for Marine Lt. B. M. Bunn will be Thursday, with full military honors, at Point Loma National cemetery, San Diego, California.

Lt. Bunn was the son of Mrs. Florence M. Wayne, of Valparaiso, Indina, and formerly of Charles City, and a brother of Clifford Bunn, of Charles City.

He was killed on July 10, 1943, while leading an attack on a Japanese machine gun nest at Enogai, on New Georgia island, in the British Solomon Islands.

He was awarded the distinguished service [medal]** for heroism in the fighting which cost him his life.

Camp Bunn, a marine raider camp in the South Pacific, was named for Lieutenant Bunn, who
was a member of the First Marine Raiders.

Lieutenant Bunn enlisted in the Marine Corps after his graduation from Charles City high school, in 1927 During his 17 years in the marines, he served in Nicaragua, China, and on navy ships, as well as in the South Pacific.

Lieutenant Bunn was awarded the Navy Cross, the Nicaraguan Medal of Merit and the Cruz de Valor of Nicaragua. These three decorations were won December 26, 1932, for his actions in breaking up a bandit attack, during a marine corps expedition to that nation. Other decorations held by Lieutenant Bunn include the Second Nicaraguan Expeditionary medal and the Marine corps expeditionary medal for service in China.

Lieutenant Bunn was a member of the marine corps rifle team which won matches at the National Rifle Tournament at Camp Perry, Ohio, in 1938, he also won several individual prizes for marksmanship in national tournaments.

[ Waterloo Daily Courier - Wednesday, February 2, 1949 ]
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NOTES:

**The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United States armed forces or other Uniformed services.
(Wikipedia)

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#3:

Mrs. B. M. Bunn of San Diego, Cal., concluded her visit in Iowa and will stop off at San Francisco on her way home to visit at the home of Maj. and Mrs. McPhearson.

While here she was the house guest for 5 weeks at the Clifford Bunn home and visited other relatives and friends in Charles City. Her husband, Lt. Bennie M. Bunn, was killed in action on New Georgia Island, July 10, 1944.

Mason City Globe Gazette, 26 JUL 1944, pg 16
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#4:

Name Camp
in Pacific
After Hero

Charles City, Iowa -- Somewhere in the South Pacific where marines are trained for jungle warfare against the Japanese, is Camp Bunn, named in honor of Lt. Bennie M. Bunn, son of Henry Bunn, of Charles City, and brother of Clifford Bunn, of East St. Charles township.

The latter recently received a large picture of the camp from Mrs. B. M. Bunn of San Diego, Cal., wife of the hero who was killed in action July 10, 1943, on New Georgia island in the British Solomons group.

Action toward naming the camp was taken by officers and men of Lt. Bunn's command in honor of his courageous conduct in the battle in which he paid the supreme sacrifice. Lt. Col. L. W. Nickerson, USMC, in his report on the skirmish said "According to the official report of the skirmish, Jap machine gunners were being thrown back repeatedly with heavy losses in trying to take the position.

Though not under orders to advance, Lt. Bunn, veteran of nearly 17 years, took some hand grenades and a Tommy gun and telling the other men to cover him as best they could, climbed straight up the slippery bluff.

Halfway up, a Jap bullet clipped him and by the time he reached the top he was wounded many times, but his Tommy gun and grenades took that position. "His body was carried down the slope and interred in Grove 8 in the military cemetery."

[ Mason City Globe Gazette, 19 MAY 1944, pg 4 ]
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#5:

Benjamin Bunn - Ancestry.com

Photo: Distingushed Service Cross
Description: Awarded posthumously for actions during the World War II The President of the United States of America.

Attached To: Maurice Benjamin Bunn (1905-1943)

(Credit: S. Bell)
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#6:

Bennie M. Bunn
Date of death: Killed in Action
Place of Birth: Charles City, Iowa
Home of record: Charles City, Iowa
Status: KIA

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 52 (1944)
Action Date: 10-Jul-43
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: First Lieutenant
Battalion: 1st Marine Raider Battalion

Ref: http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=8604

Biographical Information on Bennie Bunn
 

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