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CAPT. L. H. HARDEE RELATES TRAVEL AND VARIED ASSIGNMENTS IN MARINE CORPS’ CAREER
Captain Hardee was Lorn in Kiowa, Okla on 15Novl9. He enlisted in the Marine
Corps on 19Sep40 and took his recruit training at San Diego* From Nov40 until
Apr4l, he served with the 8th Marine Regiment at San Diego and during this time
his unit completed a record 182-mile hike in two weeks. In April, he was reass
igned to the 6th Marines and shortly thereafter sailed from San Diego Say, via
Panama Canal, to Iceland; where, on the barren treeless slopes, with winds up to
80' MPH, the Regiment dug defensive positions and received intensive training.
Upon return to the United States and sunny California, Sgt Hardee attended three
Marine Corps Schools—Unarmed Defense, Scout and Sniper, and the course In mach
ine guns. Then in Sep4l, his regiment sailed for the South Pacific and New Zeal
and where they received final training prior to landing at Guadalcanal. Sergeant
Hardee was a Pla,toon Sergeant on the 'Canal and when his unit returned to New
Zealand, he was reassigned to the Infantry Combat Intelligence course for seven
weeks back on Guadalcanal. He then returned to his unit as an instructor and this
proved very helpful during subsequent training. , From May to September of 1943
found Hardee's unit on the move again, and in November they landed at Betio Is
land, commonly called Tarawa. His unit landed on Green Beach and after 76 hours
of hard fighting the island was Marine property. Garrison duty was not for his
Regiment however, as they immediately sailed for Hawaii to an advanced training
camp. Platoon Sergeant Hardee found his unit filled with new recruits and a need
for intensive training arose. In May44, he went to sea as a part of the 2nd Sep
arate InfBn, later designated IstBn, 29thMarines, with a mission of landing from
rubber boats on the island of Saipan, The landing their occurred on 15Jun44 and
for his valiant fighting on Saipan, Platoon Sergeant Hardee was awarded the Navy
Cross, leading his platoon against great odds in taking a ridge. He was given
a Field Commission as 2ndLt and lead a rifle platoon throughout the action.Foll
owing the securing of Saipan, his unit returned to Guadalcanal and started train
ing for Okinawa .
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His five months there was spent on Shore Patrol Duty, In Jun45, he was an inst
ructor in Infantry Demonstration Platoon at Camp Pendleton, and in September of
that year was assigned to Marine Corps Schools at Qu&ntico, Followingsahool, (now
a lstLt) he was ordered to the 1st Special Marine Brigade and immediately sailed
for Haitii; later landing at Cuba and Roosevelt Roads, Porto Rico, Upon return
Stateside, he reported to Marine Barracks, Great Lakes but left after adiortper
iod and was on his way to China, From T46 to *49 he found many interesting and
varied assignments in China from train patrols to riding LSTs on the Yangtze ,
also commanding a rifle company with IstBn, 1st Marines during this time. Back
to the States, Lt was assigned as Security Officer at San Francisco; but with
guns roaring in Korea, he was once again on the move, as an instructor with the
Landing Force Training Unit, Pacific, and during this period made numeroustfrips
to Japan, Formosa, Okinawa,.and. Korea participating in both trainingand landing
of troops in Korea, In 1953* Hardee served in the 1st and 3rd Divisions, and in
1954 became Commanding Officer of Marine Barracks, Fallbrook, In 1957* Captain
Hardee transferred to San Diego and the next year, took over duties as Officer
in-Charge,.Drill Instructor School;, a school teaching NCOs the tasks and tech
niques of making civilians into Marines, In Apr60, Captain Hardee was on his way
again—destination Adak, -
In addition to Captain Hardee's Navy Cross, he wears the Presidential Unit Ci
tation and other area awards. His wife, Catherine and their three daughters are
with him here on Adak, ...
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"MARINE BARRACKS, ADAK, ALASKA"