Walter X. Young
Encyclopedia
Walter X. Young was an officer of the United States Marine Corps
during World War II
who received the Navy Cross
posthumously for his actions.
, on 22 October 1918. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
on 6 January 1941, and following training at the Marine Corps Base Quantico
, Virginia
, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 29 May 1941. After commissioning, Second Lieutenant Young received training at the U.S. Army Signal Corps School at Fort Monmouth
, New Jersey
, and was then assigned to the Marine Barracks
New River, North Carolina
, into 1942.
Promoted to First Lieutenant on 6 June 1942 Young was communications officer of the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion, which took part in the initial landings of the Guadalcanal Campaign
in the Solomon Islands
. During the extremely dangerous initial landings on Gavutu, First Lieutenant Young singlehandedly assaulted a Japanese
-held dugout
commanding a portion of the dock
on the island
, which was a key objective. While successfully penetrating and neutralizing the dugout, Young was wounded by rifle
fire, and died later that day.
, First Lieutenant Young was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.
destroyer escort
USS Walter X. Young (DE-723)
was named for First Lieutenant Young. Her construction was cancelled in March 1944.
The destroyer escort USS Walter X. Young (DE-715) was then named in his honor. During construction, she was converted into the fast transport USS Walter X. Young (APD-131)
, and was in commission
as such from 1945 to 1946.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who received the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
posthumously for his actions.
Biography
Walter Xavier Young was born in Chicago, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, on 22 October 1918. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
United States Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...
on 6 January 1941, and following training at the Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 29 May 1941. After commissioning, Second Lieutenant Young received training at the U.S. Army Signal Corps School at Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth
Fort Monmouth was an installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, New Jersey, and is located about 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The post covers nearly of land, from the Shrewsbury...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and was then assigned to the Marine Barracks
Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation...
New River, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, into 1942.
Promoted to First Lieutenant on 6 June 1942 Young was communications officer of the 1st Marine Parachute Battalion, which took part in the initial landings of the Guadalcanal Campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. During the extremely dangerous initial landings on Gavutu, First Lieutenant Young singlehandedly assaulted a Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
-held dugout
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
commanding a portion of the dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
on the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
, which was a key objective. While successfully penetrating and neutralizing the dugout, Young was wounded by rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
fire, and died later that day.
Awards
For his heroic action in the Battle of Gavutu-TanambogoBattle of Tulagi and Gavutu-Tanambogo
The Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, between the forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied ground forces. It took place from 7–9 August 1942 on the Solomon Islands, during the initial Allied landings in the Guadalcanal...
, First Lieutenant Young was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously.
Namesakes
In February 1944, the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
USS Walter X. Young (DE-723)
USS Walter X. Young (DE-723)
USS Walter X. Young was a proposed United States Navy Rudderow-class destroyer escort that was never built.The name Walter X. Young was approved for DE-723 on 7 February 1944. Plans called for her to be built by the Dravo Corporation at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
was named for First Lieutenant Young. Her construction was cancelled in March 1944.
The destroyer escort USS Walter X. Young (DE-715) was then named in his honor. During construction, she was converted into the fast transport USS Walter X. Young (APD-131)
USS Walter X. Young (APD-131)
USS Walter X. Young was a ship of the United States Navy, named for Lieutenant Walter X. Young , an officer of the United States Marine Corps who was killed in action during the Battle of Guadalcanal....
, and was in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as such from 1945 to 1946.