Corporal Bernard J Fliss was born in Cook, Illinois on March 5th, 1921, and grew up working on his family’s farm. However, when his country needed him he answered the call and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on August 31st, 1942. Following training in San Diego, Fliss was attached to D company(scout) 1st Tank Battalion in time for the landing at Cape Gloucester.
Luckily Fliss escaped Gloucester without any damage to himself, despite being behind enemy lines for 28 days, but unfortunately the same could not be said about his next battle, Peleliu. On September 15th, 1944 the 7th Marines landed on Orange beach three. During this assault, the 7th had a devastating amount of casualties and due to this, there were holes all throughout their front line. Due to this, Maj General Rupertus decided to send in the Reconnaissance company to fill in the gaps in the line of Colonel Haneken’s 7th Marines.
Several later accounts stated that this was a total misuse of the Recon Company and its abilities.
Regardless, Corporal Fliss landed on the 15th with Recon Company and while landing received two gunshot wounds to the face, one hitting and breaking his lower jaw, and the other hitting him in the cheek which knocked out several teeth.
Fliss was evacuated from the island and over the course of several months received facial reconstruction surgeries which, as can be seen in the photos, were very successful.
Fliss returned to Illinois and married Laura Kulinski. They would have a son, Ronald, who served in Vietnam with the Army. Corporal Fliss lived the rest of his life peacefully in Illinois and finally Idaho where he passed away on October 10th, 1990 at the age of 69.
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