GySgt Howard McCard

11/25/1918-06/16/1944

GySgt Robert Howard McCard was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on 16 June 1944. 

Robert McCard enlisted in the Marines on 18 December 1939 and was sent to Sea School after completing boot camp. He was promoted to private first class on 2 July 1940 and temporarily made sergeant while he went on recruiting duty in May 1941. ⁠

In December 1941, McCard left the recruiting service, reverting to his rank of private first class. Over the next three years, McCard rose to the rank of sergeant and in April of 1943, he was assigned to the 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, which was then being formed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. ⁠

McCard deployed on 13 January 1944 to the Marshall Islands and took part in several battles. He made platoon sergeant and gunnery sergeant on two successive days in May while acting as platoon sergeant of a tank company. 

After leaving the Marshall Islands, he went to the Hawaiian Islands for two months then sailed for Saipan. D-Day for the Battle of Saipan was 15 June 1944. The next day, while participating in an advance, his tank was put out of action by a battery of Japanese 77-millimeter guns. Cut off from the rest of his platoon, McCard brought all his tank’s weapons to bear on the enemy. The intensity of the enemy fire caused him to order his crew out of the escape hatch. ⁠

While his crew made their escape, the tank commander hurled hand grenades at the enemy until his supply was exhausted. Severely wounded, McCard dismantled one of the tank’s machine guns, then faced the enemy again, killing sixteen of the enemy before he was mortally wounded. ⁠

For his heroic actions, GySgt McCard was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor which was presented to his widow on 10 April 1945. ⁠

Semper Fi, GySgt McCard. ⁠