George Reeser

George enlisted in the Marines on September 10, 1940, and was in the thick of many battles during World War II.  He was honored for his bravery in 1943 during the attack and subsequent capture of the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Ocean, where he captured between 60 and 80 Japanese soldiers with only two hand grenades as his ammunition.

On Christmas Eve 1943, word came back home that Reeser had been killed in action on Tarawa, making him the first Washington soldier killed in action in World War II.  Two other Washingtonians, Walker Danforth and Bruce King, had lost their lives due to different circumstances earlier during the war.

George, known as “Peck” around town and “Bud” to his family, last visited Washington during an Easter leave in early April 1942.

After the news of Reeser’s death, more details came to light surrounding his demise.  The lieutenant of their company had been hit and was down.  Six soldiers voluntarily ran to his aid and attempted to carry him off the battlefield.  The men, out in the open and subject to heavy Japanese fire, were hit with a barrage of rifle and machine gun fire.  Five of the six soldiers who ran to the lieutenant were shot, and only two survived.  One of the four who perished was George Reeser.

In 2009, the organization History Flight found 52 soldiers buried on Tarawa Island.  The group, whose mission is to recover soldiers missing in action, positively identified the remains of George Reeser in 2020.

In September 2020, Reeser’s remains were flown to St. Louis, where the family and a hearse from Deiters Funeral Home met them.  The trip from St. Louis to Washington was accompanied by a 50-rider procession of motorcycles from area support groups.

A full military funeral was held, and Reeser’s transport from Deiters to Mt. Zion Cemetery near Deer Creek was met with Washington residents flanking the road and paying their respects.