Alexander Bonnyman Jr.

He led demolition teams to break a strongpoint under gunfire

Alexander "Sandy" Bonnyman Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 2 May 1910 and grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. He attended Princeton University and played football before leaving in 1930. After a brief period as an Army Air Corps flying cadet in 1932, he worked in coal mining and later owned a copper mine near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Bonnyman enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1942. He fought on Guadalcanal, received a field commission in February 1943 and became a first lieutenant that September. At Tarawa he served as executive officer of the shore party supporting the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, within the 2nd Marine Division.

During the assault on Betio Island, 20-22 November 1943, Bonnyman led troops off an exposed pier and organised demolition teams. He repeatedly attacked a heavily defended Japanese shelter, reached its roof and helped repel a counterattack. He was killed on 22 November, aged 33, and received a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal presented Bonnyman's medal to his daughter on 22 January 1947. His remains stayed unaccounted for until a History Flight team recovered them on Betio in 2015. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency confirmed his identity through dental comparisons and other evidence. He was returned to Knoxville and buried at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery.

Official Medal of Honor citation:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the 2d Battalion Shore Party, Eighth Marines, Second Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, November 20-22, 1943. Acting on his own initiative when assault troops were pinned down at the far end of Betio Pier by the overwhelming fire of Japanese shore batteries, First Lieutenant Bonnyman repeatedly defied the blasting fury of the enemy bombardment to organize and lead the besieged men over the long, open pier to the beach and then, voluntarily obtaining flame throwers and demolitions, organized his pioneer shore party into assault demolitionists and directed the blowing of several hostile installations before the close of D-Day. Determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly organized defense line the following day, he voluntarily crawled approximately forty yards forward of our lines and placed demolitions in the entrance of a large Japanese emplacement as the initial move in his planned attack against the heavily garrisoned, bombproof installation which was stubbornly resisting despite the destruction early in the action of a large number of Japanese who had been inflicting heavy casualties on our forces and holding up our advance. Withdrawing only to replenish his ammunition, he led his men in a renewed assault, fearlessly exposing himself to the merciless slash of hostile fire as he stormed the formidable bastion, directed the placement of demolition charges in both entrances and seized the top of the bombproof position, flushing more than one hundred of the enemy who were instantly cut down and effecting the annihilation of approximately one hundred and fifty troops inside the emplacement. Assailed by additional Japanese after he had gained his objective, he made a heroic stand on the edge of the structure, defending his strategic position with indomitable determination in the face of the desperate charge and killing three of the enemy before he fell, mortally wounded. By his dauntless fighting spirit, unrelenting aggressiveness and forceful leadership throughout three days of unremitting, violent battle, First Lieutenant Bonnyman had inspired his men to heroic effort, enabling them to beat off the counterattack and break the back of hostile resistance in that sector for an immediate gain of four hundred yards with no further casualties to our forces in this zone. He gallantly gave his life for his country."