George Yarborough
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| George Hampton Yarborough, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| October 14, 1895-June 26, 1918 | |
| Place of birth | Roxboro, North Carolina |
| Place of death | DOW received at Belleau Wood, France |
| Allegiance | USMC |
| Years of service | 1917-1918 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Belleau Wood |
| Awards | Navy Cross Distinguished Service Cross |
George Hampton Yarborough, Jr. (14 October 1895 – 26 June 1918) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and a recipient of the Navy Cross.
Born at Roxboro, North Carolina, Yarborough enrolled in class no. 4, Marine Corps Reserve, on 7 April 1917, the day after the United States entered World War I, and was given the provisional rank of second lieutenant. After instruction at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina, he reported to the Marine Barracks at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 4 June 1917 for duty with the 16th Company, 5th Regiment of Marines. Taken to New York in Seattle (Armored Cruiser No. 11), Yarborough embarked in Henderson (Transport No. 1) on 14 June 1917 sailed for France that day; and reached St. Nazaire on the 27th of June.
Yarborough, promoted to first lieutenant on 11 August 1917, served two tours of detached duty while assigned to the 5th Regiment, first at Cosne, France, between 8 December 1917 and 4 January 1918 and then at Gondrecourt, France, between 22 February and 29 April 1918.
On 23 June 1918, the height of the Battle of Belleau Wood, Lt. Yarborough arrived on the front lines. The next day, intense enemy fire from skillfully placed machine guns pinned down Yarborough's unit—a platoon in a support position in the American lines. The young lieutenant dashed from one shell hole to another, in the open, steadying his men, until a burst of machine gun fire hit him. Severely wounded, he refused aid until other wounded men in his unit received medical attention. Finally moved to shelter, he succumbed to his severe gunshot wounds on 26 June 1918. Cited for his bravery, First Lieutenant Yarborough received the Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross, posthumously.
The United States Navy named Yarborough (DD-314) for him.
[edit] Reference
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
