Alexander, Jim
Service: MarinesUnit: 4th Marine Division
Jim Alexander, born Mar. 1917. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps 4th Div. 23rd Reg. 2nd Battalion, F Co. Jim was a BAR man, which stands for Browning Automatic Rifle. It was a 30cal. automatic rifle and was very heavy, about 20 lbs. without ammo.
Jim was at a very little known tragedy in May of 1944 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii where 163 men were killed and 396 injured by an explosion. The history books still do not know what caused the explosion but Jim was right in the middle of it.
In June 1944 the 4th Mar. division was sent along with two other divisions to take the island of Siapan, where Jim was badly wounded.