Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

LCI(G) - 449

"The Lone Ranger"

Photographed By James Hulse, August 18, 2023

1. LCI(G) - 449 Marker

Inscription.

LCI(G) - 449. "The Lone Ranger". Four Battle Stars for World War II Marshalls Marianas Iwo Jima Okinawa Awarded: Presidential Unit Citation - February 17, 1945 Iwo Jima Two Navy Unit Commendations. On February 17th, 1945 the LCI(G)-449 provided close in fire support for a UDT beach reconnaissance mission of Iwo Jima. Assuming the LCI(G)-449 and her sister ships were a landing force, the Japanese opened fire with all their previously concealed batteries. The LCI(G)-449 suffered hits on her bow, gun deck, and conning tower killing twenty-one and wounding eighteen of her crew of seventy men. Later that night the crew stood by as the men of the USS TERROR buried the dead of the 449 with military honors. It is this crew of survivors that dedicates this plaque to its shipmates who did not come home and to those who did. But the LCI(G)-449 also wishes to remember with honor its sister ships who were with her that terrible day slugging it out with the Japanese and who also suffered similarly - the LCI(G)'s 346, 348, 438, 441, 450, 457, 466, 469, 471, 473, 474(sunk) and the 627., Crew of the LCI(G)-449, 17 February 1945 at Iwo Jima Lt(j.g.) Rufus G. Herring (C.O.), Wounded Medal of Honor Lt(j.g.) Byron Chew Yarbrough, Killed Lt(j.g .) Robert J. Duvall, Wounded Silver Star Ensign Leo Bedell Silver Star Ensign Frederick Cooper Jr., Killed Ensign William G. Corkins, Killed Ensign Donald J. Cromer, Wounded Silver Star, S1c Johnie L. Adams Cox Samuel H. Anthony GM3c Charles F. Banko, Wounded PhM1c Henry J. Beuckman Silver Star BM2c Frank R. Blow Bronze Star S1c Lawrence Bozarth, Killed S1c Earnest Browder F1c Mathew C. Callahan MoMM2c Robert L. Carrell F1c Harold L. Chambers BM2c John M. Fisher, Wounded MoMM3c Alfred M. Fox S2c David M. Fletcher S2c John D. Flook, Killed F1c George M. Forschler, Jr., Wounded S2c Bruce Goodin, Killed S2c S2c James D. Griffin, Jr., Wounded S2c Arthur Guajardo S2c Charles E. Halcomb S1c Bruce H. Hallett, Wounded S1c Charles E. Hightower S1c William E. Hildebrand S1c Harry D. Hilliard S1c Robert L. Hines S1c Clarence J. Hoffman, Killed F1c Norman G. Holgate S1c Junior R. Hollowell S1c Richard W. Holtby, Wounded S1c William H. Hudson, Killed StM1c Ralphal L Johnson, Wounded SC2c Clarence H. Kepner, Wounded S1c Clifford F. Lemke SM3c Arthur T. Lewis, Wounded Silver Star MoMM1c Meridith F. Luckner S2c Robert R. Minnick, Killed F2c Lawrence J. O'Connor S1c John Overchuck GM3c Ralph Owens, Killed S1c Lareto F. Paglia, Killed SM3c Carl F. Park, Killed F1c Harold W. Prine GM3c Amos Reagan, Wounded GM3c Howard W. Schoenleben, Killed GM3c John W. Shire S1c Daniel P. Skluzacek Bronze Star S1c Leonard J. Sless, Wounded S1c Arthur Stein, Wounded S2c Bruce W. Taylor GM3c William Tominac, Killed MoMM3c William A. Toth S1c Glenn H. Trotter, Killed Em2c Paul W. Vanderboom Bronze Star S1c Charles E. Vogel, Jr., Killed QM2c William M. Vollendorf, Wounded S1c Lamont S. Wade S2c Frederic F. Walton, Killed S2c Ben D. Ward CSM3c Frank E. Weber F1c William D. Welch S1c William E. Wilcox, Wounded S1c Lyndon G. Witt, Wounded S1c Cloyd J. Young S1c Leroy Young, Killed Lt(j.g.) Lee C. Yates - UDT Team 14 Observer, Killed Cpl. Edward P. Brockmeyer - Marine Corps Observer, Killed PhoM3c Leo McGrath Navy Photographer, Killed . Caption LT(j.g.) Rufus G. Herring Recipient of the Medal of Honor

Four Battle Stars for World War II
Marshalls * Marianas * Iwo Jima * Okinawa
Awarded:
Presidential Unit Citation - February 17, 1945 Iwo Jima
Two Navy Unit Commendations
On February 17th, 1945 the LCI(G)-449 provided close in fire support for a UDT beach reconnaissance mission of Iwo Jima. Assuming the LCI(G)-449 and her sister ships were a landing force, the Japanese opened fire with all their previously concealed batteries. The LCI(G)-449 suffered hits on her bow, gun deck, and conning tower killing twenty-one and wounding eighteen of her crew of seventy men. Later that night the crew stood by as the men of the USS TERROR buried the dead of the 449 with military honors. It is this crew of survivors that dedicates this plaque to its shipmates who did not come home and to those who did. But the LCI(G)-449 also wishes to remember with honor its sister ships who were with her that terrible day slugging it out with the Japanese and who also suffered similarly - the LCI(G)'s 346, 348, 438, 441, 450, 457, 466, 469, 471, 473, 474(sunk) and the 627.

Crew of the LCI(G)-449, 17 February 1945 at Iwo Jima
Lt(j.g.) Rufus G. Herring (C.O.), Wounded Medal of Honor
Lt(j.g.) Byron Chew Yarbrough, Killed
Lt(j.g .) Robert J. Duvall, Wounded Silver Star
Ensign

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Leo Bedell Silver Star
Ensign Frederick Cooper Jr., Killed
Ensign William G. Corkins, Killed
Ensign Donald J. Cromer, Wounded Silver Star

S1c Johnie L. Adams
Cox Samuel H. Anthony
GM3c Charles F. Banko, Wounded
PhM1c Henry J. Beuckman Silver Star
BM2c Frank R. Blow Bronze Star
S1c Lawrence Bozarth, Killed
S1c Earnest Browder
F1c Mathew C. Callahan
MoMM2c Robert L. Carrell
F1c Harold L. Chambers
BM2c John M. Fisher, Wounded
MoMM3c Alfred M. Fox
S2c David M. Fletcher
S2c John D. Flook, Killed
F1c George M. Forschler, Jr., Wounded
S2c Bruce Goodin, Killed S2c
S2c James D. Griffin, Jr., Wounded
S2c Arthur Guajardo
S2c Charles E. Halcomb
S1c Bruce H. Hallett, Wounded
S1c Charles E. Hightower
S1c William E. Hildebrand
S1c Harry D. Hilliard
S1c Robert L. Hines
S1c Clarence J. Hoffman, Killed
F1c Norman G. Holgate
S1c Junior R. Hollowell
S1c Richard W. Holtby, Wounded
S1c William H. Hudson, Killed
StM1c Ralphal L Johnson, Wounded
SC2c Clarence H. Kepner, Wounded
S1c Clifford F. Lemke
SM3c Arthur T. Lewis, Wounded Silver Star
MoMM1c Meridith F. Luckner
S2c Robert R. Minnick, Killed
F2c Lawrence J. O'Connor
S1c John Overchuck
GM3c Ralph Owens, Killed
S1c Lareto F. Paglia,

The LCI(G) - 449 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, August 18, 2023

2. The LCI(G) - 449 Marker

The marker is the fourth marker from the right side.

Killed
SM3c Carl F. Park, Killed
F1c Harold W. Prine
GM3c Amos Reagan, Wounded
GM3c Howard W. Schoenleben, Killed
GM3c John W. Shire
S1c Daniel P. Skluzacek Bronze Star
S1c Leonard J. Sless, Wounded
S1c Arthur Stein, Wounded
S2c Bruce W. Taylor
GM3c William Tominac, Killed
MoMM3c William A. Toth
S1c Glenn H. Trotter, Killed
Em2c Paul W. Vanderboom Bronze Star
S1c Charles E. Vogel, Jr., Killed
QM2c William M. Vollendorf, Wounded
S1c Lamont S. Wade
S2c Frederic F. Walton, Killed
S2c Ben D. Ward
CSM3c Frank E. Weber
F1c William D. Welch
S1c William E. Wilcox, Wounded
S1c Lyndon G. Witt, Wounded
S1c Cloyd J. Young
S1c Leroy Young, Killed
Lt(j.g.) Lee C. Yates - UDT Team 14 Observer, Killed
Cpl. Edward P. Brockmeyer - Marine Corps Observer, Killed
PhoM3c Leo McGrath Navy Photographer, Killed
Caption
LT(j.g.) Rufus G. Herring
Recipient of the Medal of Honor

Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is February 17, 1945.

Location. 30° 16.356′ N, 98° 52.023′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Memorial is on East Main Street near North Washington Street. The marker is located in the central

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section of the WWII Veterans Memorial Courtyard which is a part of the National Museum of the Pacific War. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 340 E Main St, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Seagoing Marine Detachments (here, next to this marker); AOG - Auxiliary Oil Gas (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. Samuel S. Miles (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. San Juan CL-54 (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. Renshaw (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. Toledo (CA-133) (here, next to this marker); U.S.S. Essex CV-9 (here, next to this marker); The Citadel (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.

Also see . . . USS LCI(L)-449 landing craft. Wikipedia (Submitted on March 16, 2024.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 15, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 55 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 16, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.