Remembering 10 Morris County Marines Who Died At Iwo Jima

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — This week marks 75 years since U.S. Marines invaded the island of Iwo Jima, sparking a 36-day battle that eventually won U.S. troops the use of the island as an air base.

During the battle, over 6,800 American lives and 18,500 Japanese lives were lost, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Among those who fought at Iwo Jima were 38 known Marines from Morris County. Ten of them died in the battle, according to research from by Jan Williams, Cultural and Historic Resources Specialist for the County of Morris.

"The Morris County Board of Freeholders honors the memory of our veterans who served, some of whom lost their lives in this horrific battle," said Freeholder John Krickus, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The list below is compiled by Morris County. Click for more information on the list and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Known Marines who died at Iwo Jima:

• Waldemar F. Piecyk
  • Dover
  • United States Marine Corps 25th Regt 4th Marine Div
  • February 21, 1945

• Frederick Daniel Budd
  • Chester
  • United States Marine Corps 5th Engineer BN
  • February 23, 1945
  • Purple Heart (posthumous)

• Edward R. Hornbeck
  • Denville
  • United States Marine Corps 27th Marines
  • February 27, 1945
  • Hornbeck Road in Denville, New Jersey, is named in his honor
• Nicholas R. Finellie
  • Madison
  • United States Marine Corps 28th Marines
  • February 28, 1945
  • Madison Roll of Honor
  • Military Memorial Pathway Madison brick location I2

• Irving Vanness Petry
  • Hanover
  • United States Marine Corps 4th Marine Division
  • March 1, 1945
  • East Hanover Memorial

• Pat Anthony Maioran, Jr.
  • Morristown
  • United States Marine Corps Reserves 24 Marines – 4th Div
  • March 2, 1945

• Dominick Sapio
  • Dover
  • United States Marine Corps 4th Marine Division
  • March 2, 1945

• Vincent E. Fields
  • Washington Township
  • United States Marine Corps 25th Regt 4 DIV
  • March 6, 1945
  • Purple Heart (posthumous)
  • Vincent E. Fields Street in Washington Township is named in his honor.
• Francis John Bednar
  • Boonton
  • United States Marine Corps 25th Marines 4th Marine Division
  • March 10, 1945
  • Boonton Veterans Memorial
• Andrew Harvey Bladt
  • Boonton
  • United States Marine Corps 5th Marines
  • March 11, 1945
  • Boonton Veterans Memorial

Other known Morris County participants in the Battle of Iwo Jima:

• Louis Patrick Andreorio
  • Morristown
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima

• Robert M. Aughey
  • “AA2IM”
  • Dover
  • United States Marine Corps Senior Radio Officer 5th Division
  • Iwo Jima
  • Attached to the Navajo “Code Talkers”
  • The Navajo Code remains the only oral military code never broken.
• John Patrick Biddiscombe
  • Morristown
  • United States Navy U.S.S. Wilkes-Barre CL-103
  • Iwo Jima
  • Okinawa
• Frank Edward Bird, Jr.
  • Netcong
  • United States Navy LSM 46
  • Iwo Jima
• Jacob Brorein
  • Whippany
  • United States Navy U.S.S. Henry A. Wiley DM-29
  • Okinawa
  • Iwo Jima
• Robert Peter Brundage
  • Dover
  • United States Marine Corps 5th Marines – 1st Marine Division
  • May 3, 1945 Okinawa
  • Dartmouth World War II Memorial Plaque
  • Peter Brundage Ski Lodge Built by Dartmouth College in 1956 – Dartmouth Skiway-named in his honor
  • Iwo Jima and Okinawa Memorial Plaque – Special Officer Candidate School – Harlington, Texas
  • Silver Star (posthumous) citation
• Norbert James Charron
  • Morris Plains
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima
  • Purple Heart
• Ralph J. D’Alconzo
  • Morris Plains
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima
  • Purple Heart
• Robert Franklin Daily
  • Morristown
  • United States Marine Corps
• Robert Morris Dalrymple
  • Morristown
  • United States Navy
  • Iwo Jima
• Charles Edwards Dobbins
  • Morris Plains
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Peleliu
  • Iwo Jima
  • Okinawa
  • New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal
  • Morris County Distinguished Service Medal
• Samuel Howard Edwards, Jr.
  • Boonton Township
  • United States Coast Guard U.S.S. Bayfield APA-33
  • Okinawa participant amphibious landings
  • Iwo Jima participant amphibious landings
• Eugene R. Fennimore
  • Morris Plains
  • United States Navy LST
  • Pacific Theater
  • Iwo Jima
  • Morris County Distinguished Service Medal
• Jacob "Jack" Gartenberg
  • Parsippany
  • United States Marine Corps 4th Marine Division
  • Iwo Jima
  • Purple Heart
  • Mr. Gartenberg witnessed Marines take Mount Suribachi and planting an American flag atop the hill for other Marines to see.
• Charles M. Johnson
  • Morristown
  • United States Marine Corps Reserve 3rd BT 5th MAR DIV
  • Iwo Jima
  • Purple Heart
  • Silver Star
• Roland William Johnson
  • Chatham
  • United States Coast Guard LST-792
  • Iwo Jima
  • Battle of Okinawa participant
  • The LST-792 received two Battle Stars.
• Frank J. Jozapaitis, Sr.
  • Parsippany
  • United States Navy
  • Iwo Jima
  • Mr. Jozapaitis survived WW II, but in his civilian career as a Merchant Marine, he was on board the ship Henry Steinbrenner when it sank May, 1953. His wife received a telegram advising her that her husband was lost.
• William Stanley Kanouse
  • Montville
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima
• Joseph Francis Krasco
  • Jefferson Township
  • United States Marine Corps 1st BN 24th Marines
  • Iwo Jima
  • Purple Heart
• Edgar A. Mack
  • Morristown
  • United States Navy U.S.S. Gillespie DD-609
  • Battle for Biak
  • Iwo Jima
  • Okinawa
  • Battle of Leyte Gulf
  • Peleliu
• Sam Anthony Picconi
  • Boonton
  • United States Reserves U.S.S. Newberry APA-158
  • Iwo Jima
• James Salerno
  • Hanover
  • United States Marine Corp 5th Marines,
  • 3rd Bat, Co. G
  • Iwo Jima
  • Bouganville
  • Guadalcanal
  • Silver Star (Iwo Jima)
  • Bronze Star (4)
  • Purple Heart
• Anthony "Tony" John Santella
  • United States Navy U.S.S. Healy DD-672
  • Iwo Jima
  • Battle Star (15)
  • Distinguished Service Cross
  • New Jersey Distinguished Service medal
• Raymond "Ray" M. Santella
  • United States Navy
  • Iwo Jima
• Paul R. Stirrat, Jr.
  • Chatham Township
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima
• Guido F. Verbek
  • Harding
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Kwajalein
  • Gaudalcanal
  • Iwo Jima
  • Career Marine, retiring as a Brigadier General.
• James J. Walsh, Jr.
  • Morristown
  • United States Marine Corps
  • Iwo Jima
  • Morris County Distinguished Service Medal
• Walter S. Wayne
  • Morris Plains
  • United States Marine Corps 5th Marine Division
  • Iwo Jima participant
• Morris County Distinguished Service Medal

This story has been updated to note that Jacob "Jack" Gartenburg is a Purple Heart recipient.