PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
HAROLD G. EPPERSON, USMCR
(DECEASED)

The Medal of Honor--America's highest military award--awarded posthumously to Private First Class Harold Glenn Epperson, was presented to his mother at rites Wednesday, July 4, 1945 in Tiger Stadium, Massillon, Ohio. PFC Epperson lost his life in action against the Japanese June 25, 1944, on Saipan.

The setting of the presentation was appropriate-the stadium, the Massillon High School Band and 8,500 of the townspeople among who the 20-year-old hero spent his childhood and youth before entering military service.

The Medal of Honor was presented to PFC Epperson's mother, Mrs. Jonett B. Epperson, by Colonel Norman E. True, district Marine officer of the 9th Naval District and commanding officer of the Marine Barracks at Great Lakes, Illinois.

Mr. and Mrs. Epperson, who moved to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, following their son's death, elected to return to Massillon for the ceremonies because they felt their son "would have liked it that way."

The citation signed by President Truman, and a letter from General Alexander A. Vandegrift, Commandant of the Marine Corps were read by Colonel True:

"With his machine gun emplacement bearing the full brunt of a fanatic assault initiated by the Japanese under cover of pre-dawn darkness, PFC Epperson manned his weapon with determined aggressiveness, fighting furiously in defense of his battalion's position and maintaining a steady stream of devastating fire against rapidly infiltrating hostile troops to aid materially in annihilating several of the enemy and in breaking the abortive attack.

"Suddenly a Japanese soldier, assumed to be dead, sprang up and hurled a powerful hand grenade into the emplacement. Determined to save his comrades, PFC Epperson unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and, diving upon the deadly missile, absorbed the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body."

PFC Epperson was graduated from Washington High School in 1943 and was employed at Goodyear Aircraft in Akron before entering service.

The USS Epperson, a destroyer bearing the hero's name, was launched December 23, 1945, at Port Newark, New Jersey.

PFC Epperson was initially buried in the 2d Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan, Marianas Islands. His remains were reinterred in Winchester Cemetery, Winchester, Kentucky, in 1948.