| Namesake of USS Cole > Sergeant Darrell Samuel Cole, United States Marine Corps Reserve (Deceased) > > On August 25, 1941, Cole enlisted in the Marine Corps for the duration of > the National Emergency, and following a boot training at Parris Island, SC, > he was appointed to the Field Music School for training as a Marine Corps > Field Music, the equivalent of a bugler. Completing instruction, he was > transferred to the First Marine Regiment, First Marine Division, and on > August 7, 1942, reached the shores of Guadalcanal for the first American > offensive of World War II. > > Not too happy in his role of field music when he had joined a fighting > outfit to fight and after acquitting himself meritoriously as a machine > gunner in the absence of the regular gunner, he applied for a change in > rating, but was refused due to the shortage of buglers. Cole completed his > first overseas tour of duty and returned to the United States in February > 1943, where he joined First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, then forming > as a part of the Fourth Marine Division at Camp Lejune, North Carolina. > > When the unit moved to California he again asked for relief as a Field > Music and for permission to perform line duties, but was again refused due > to the shortage of buglers in the Marine Corps. > > During the first engagement of the Fourth Division at Roi-Namur in the > Kwajalein Atoll, Cole, again forsaking his bugle, went into action as a > machine-gunner. Four months later, when the Division stormed ashore at > Saipan, he had been assigned to a machine-gun unit. Because of his proven > ability in combat, he was designated a machine gun section leader. > During the battle when his squad leader was killed, Cole, although wounded, > assumed command of the entire squad and acquitted himself in such a manner > to be awarded the Bronze Star Medal for "...his resolute leadership, > indomitable fighting spirit and tenacious determination in the face of > terrific opposition..." > > He was also awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received in action. > > A few days after the battle of Saipan, Cole, again led his squad ashore in > the invasion of the neighboring islands of Tinian, where he continued to > live up to his growing reputation as "The Fighting Field Music." > > After the Marianas campaigns he again requested a change of rating and this > time his request was approved and he was redesignated Corporal "line" and > was subsequently promoted to Sergeant in November 1944. On February 19, > 1945, Sergeant Cole led his machine gun section ashore in the D-Day assault > of Iwo Jima. Moving forward with the initial assault wave, their advance > was halted by a hail of fire from two Japanese emplacements which Sergeant > Cole personally destroyed with hand grenades. His unit continued to > advance until pinned down for a second time by enemy fire from three > Japanese gun emplacements. > > One of these emplacements was silenced by Cole's machine guns, but then > jammed. Armed only with a pistol and one hand grenade, Sgt. Cole made a > one-man attack against the two remaining positions. Twice he returned to > his own lines for additional grenades and continued the attack under fierce > enemy fire until he had succeeded in destroying the Japanese strong > point. Returning to his own squad, he was instantly killed by an enemy > grenade. > > By his one-man attack and heroic self-sacrifice, Sergeant Cole enabled his > company to move forward against fortifications and attain their ultimate > objective. |