
Patrick Brendan Flanagan enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 6th, 1942, less than a month after the attack at Pearl Harbor. He completed basic training in March of 1942 and was placed in a guard company before he was transferred to B Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines in time to land at Guadalcanal late in November 1942. While there he was exposed to heavy enemy bombing and strafing while unloading supplies in Lunga Bay.

He left that island with his first combat experience and was sent to Melbourne for R&R and training before he shipped back off and landed at Goodenough island. Now a Corporal, Flanagan proceeded to Cape Gloucester where he participated in the capture of the Airdromes there in December 1943 and remained there in combat until April 1944.


Flanagan and B company were then sent to Pavuvu to rest and gear up for their landings at Peleliu. It was at this time or perhaps just before on Cape Gloucester where he made a switch in the field from Rifleman to Scout Sniper, likely based on exceptional marksmanship in the field. Patrick and B Company proceeded on to Peleliu where they landed on White Beach.

B Company pushed inland, just south of 3/1 in their fight for the point and hit a 30 foot high coral ridge. After 3/1 and A/1/1 were stopped at this ridge, on D+2 B company was ordered by Major Ray Davis to close the gap but they too were stopped cold. It is likely that sometime during this action, Corporal Flanagan was shot in the shoulder. He was shipped home where he recovered and remained in the Corps. While leading a platoon in a training exercise, Sergeant Flanagan was accidentally run over by a Sherman Tank and broke his leg. He was discharged after recovering and lived the rest of his life in Pennsylvania with his wife and children, passing away in 1986 at the age of 83.
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