Alexander Bonnyman Jr.

Alexander Bonnyman, Jr.
Medal of Honor recipient Alexander Bonnyman, Jr.
Nickname(s)	"Sandy"
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1942-1943
Rank	1st Lieutenant
Unit	2nd Battalion 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division
Battles / wars	Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Tarawa
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart

Alexander "Sandy" Bonnyman, Jr. (May 2, 1910 — November 22, 1943) was a United States Marine Corps officer who was killed in action at Betio, Tarawa during World War II. A combat engineer, he received the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars and the World War II Victory Medal posthumously for extreme bravery during the strategically important assault on a Japanese bombproof shelter during the Battle of Tarawa.

Biography

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Bonnyman grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and attended Princeton University where he studied engineering and established himself as a football star in his sophomore year, in part for his ferocity on the field. Dropping out of college, he worked first in the coal industry then later moved to New Mexico, where he started a copper mining business.

At the outbreak of the war, Bonnyman was exempt from any military obligation due to his age and role in running a company producing strategically vital material for the war effort. Nevertheless, he signed up for Army Air Corps flight training; he was reportedly washed out "for buzzing too many control towers". Determined to fight, he then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a private at Phoenix, Arizona. Bonnyman received his recruit training at the USMC Base in San Diego, California.

Bonnyman and his assault party storming Japanese stronghold

In October 1942, Bonnyman sailed for the South Pacific aboard the USS Matsonia. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Guadalcanal as part of a Marine pioneer unit (akin to a lightly equipped version of an Army combat engineer group). In February 1943, he received a battlefield commission to the rank of second lieutenant in recognition of what his superiors described as exceptional leadership skills.

Bonnyman's civilian background, temperament and skills would come to play an important role at Tarawa, where he was assigned to a shore party handling beachhead logistics. When the assault troops during the D-Day were pinned down by heavy enemy artillery fire at the seaward end of the long Betio Pier, Bonnyman on his own initiative, organized and led five men over the open pier to the beach. There he voluntarily obtained flame throwers and demolitions and directed the blowing up of several hostile installations before the close of D-Day.

On the second day of the struggle, Bonnyman, determined to effect an opening in the enemy's strongly defended defense line, led his demolitions teams in an assault on the entrance to a huge bombproof shelter which contained approximately 150 Japanese soldiers. The enemy position was about forty yards forward of the Marine lines while, Bonnyman advanced his team to the mouth of the position, killing many of the defenders before they were forced to withdraw to replenish their supply of ammunition and grenades. Bonnyman pressed his attack and gained the top of the structure flushing more than one hundred of its occupants into the open where they were shot down. Assailed by additional Japanese, the lieutenant stood at the forward edge of the position and killed several attackers before he fell mortally wounded. Betio Island was declared secured on the same day.

Bonnyman was buried on Tarawa.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

FIRST LIEUTENANT ALEXANDER BONNYMAN, JR.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of the Second Battalion Shore Party, Eighth Marines, Second Marine Division, during the assault against enemy Japanese-held Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, from 20 to 22 November 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 demolitions 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 sized 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 the 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.

/S/HARRY S. TRUMAN

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients
• List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

References

• Official Marine Corps biography
• Medal of Honor citation
• 2001 Princeton Alumni Weekly tribute
• MedalOfHonor.com article
• Alexander, Joseph H. (1995). Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of Tarawa. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-031-2.