Oscar F. Peatross

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Peatross was born on March 2, 1916, in Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated from Needham B. Broughton High School in 1934. He later graduated from North Carolina State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1939. Peatross joined the Marine Corps on November 6, 1940, and due to his university degree he was selected for the Officer's Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

He completed the school on February 20, 1941, and was commissioned a second lieutenant on that date. Peatross was then ordered to San Diego, California, and assigned to the newly activated 2nd Marine Division under Major General Clayton B. Vogel. He volunteered for the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion when the Marine Raiders units were formed in February 1942 and took part in the intensive training at Camp Elliott under famous lieutenant colonel Evans F. Carlson.

The Second Marine Raiders sailed for Hawaii in May 1942 for advanced instruction in rubber boat operations and landings from submarines. Peatross was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and appointed platoon commander with Company B. The 2nd Raider Battalion was subsequently ordered for Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands in order to destroy Japanese installations, take prisoners and gain intelligence. During the raid, he led a reinforced squad of a dozen Raiders in one of 18 rubber boats off one of two U.S. submarines, but did not receive word on a change of plan in the landing area. He led his 12 men onto the original planned landing site, while the other 17 boats landed on a different beach.

Peatross distinguished himself during that action on August 17–18 and received Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat.

His official Navy Cross Citation reads:

The 2nd Raider battalion was then ordered to Espiritu Santo for rest and reequipment and Peatross was promoted to the rank of captain and appointed company commander. After few months of rest, they were ordered to Guadalcanal at the beginning of November 1942 in order to reinforce other Marine units fighting there since August. Peatross spent 30 days behind enemy lines within Carlson's patrol and returned to Espiritu Santo in February 1943. He also received Navy Presidential Unit Citation for unit's performance during Guadalcanal Campaign.

Following the formation of 2nd Marine Regiment in September 1943, Peatross was appointed regimental operations officer under Lieutenant Colonel Alan Shapley. He also held additional duty as regimental executive officer and sailed with the regiment to Bougainville and took part in the Occupation and Defense of Cape Torokina in November–December 1943.

Peatross was promoted to the rank of major at the beginning of 1944 and ordered back to the United States, where he attended the Command and Staff School at Quantico. He was then ordered to Camp Pendleton, California and attached to the 28th Marine Regiment under Colonel Harry B. Liversedge. Peatross assumed duty as Regimental Operations officer and took part in extensive amphibious training of the regiment. He sailed with his regiment as the part of 5th Marine Division under Major General Keller E. Rockey to Hawaii in October 1944 and after another four months of training, they headed for Iwo Jima.

In February 1945, he took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he was the Regimental Operations Officer of the 28th Marines and also held temporary duty as executive officer of 3rd Battalion, 28th Marines. For his service on Iwo Jima, Peatross received the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" and also his second Navy Presidential Unit Citation.

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