Edward Buckbee Brough Jr. was born June 7, 1922 in Schenectady, NY to Edward B. Brough (abt 1885-1931) and Grace Wright (1880-1929). His parents were married on February 21, 1920 in Schenectady, NY. His dad was a bank teller for Schenectady Trust Co. and in 1925 the NY State Census recorded the family lived on Glenwood Blvd in Schenectady. He had a younger brother David (1925-1999). Both his mom and dad had family in Round Lake and the family visited there often when the boys were young. His mom died in 1929 and his dad passed just two years later. This left Edward and David without parents and they went to live at the children's home in Schenectady (see 1930 US Census page in Supporting Documents).

Somehow Edward and David found their way to the Masonic Home in Utica NY. He graduated from Parker[sic] High School (likely Proctor High School) in Utica and was a student at Union College prior to entering the service. In March 1941 Edward attends a "Science Views Man Symposium" at Union College as a "sub-freshman". He was employed by the Schenectady Trust Co. and lived with Rev. Mr. Bambach at St. George's Rectory at some point. In August 1941 Edward wins a scholarship of $200 a year for four years to study Engineering at Union College in Schenectady.

Edward registered for the draft on June 30, 1942 in Schenectady, NY. He was 5'-9" tall, weighed 147 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes and lived on Center St. in Scotia, NY. Edward doesn't wait to be drafted. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp. on July 28, 1942 through Albany, NY and was issued service number 414087. He did his basic training at Parris Island, S.C. and Camp Pendleton, California.

On the 21st of February 1945 the 21st Marines of the 3rd Marine Division came ashore on Iwo Jima to reinforce the 4th Marine Division already there. From the outset things didn't go as planned. Heavy rain, enemy fire and broken terrain hampered operations. Ground was gained slowly and at great cost. On March 3 a sketch of the enemy defense area was captured by the 21st Marines. Although interpretation of the sketch was uncertain, it was believed the 21st Marines had found a "soft spot" in the enemy defenses. An attack was launched at 8:00 am. (A detailed account of the events of March 3, 1945 can be found in the Supporting Documents. It is taken from Erskine, pg. 11-12.) Pfc Brough's Company B were fighting near the rugged defensive complex around Hill 362C when he was killed.

Pfc. Brough was initially buried in the temporary cemetery established near the landing beaches on the eastern side of the island (in the 3rd Marine Division cemetery). In April 1948, during the government's body recovery program, his remains are returned home aboard the USAT Walter W. Schwenk and he was buried in the Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead, Mass. A military funeral was held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Marblehead. The Headstone on his grave was issued in May 1948 and was applied for by his brother David.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., State Census, 1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

"Body of E.B. Brough Buried in Marblehead", Schenectady Gazette, April 23, 1948, pg. 15.

“Body of Student's Brother on Army Ship from Pacific”, Geneva Daily Times, Geneva, NY, March 22, 1948, pg. 9.

Erskine, G.B., Major General, 3rd Marine Division Reinforced Iwo Jima Action Report 31 October 1944 – 16 March 1945 acquired from the National Archives on line.

His FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107554649/edward_buckbee-brough: accessed May 11, 2026), memorial page for PFC Edward Buckbee Brough (7 Jun 1922–3 Mar 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 107554649, citing Waterside Cemetery, Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Jeff Hall (contributor 47296194).

Fold3, US, Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/1414/us-marine-corps-muster-rolls-1798-1958 : accessed May 12, 2026), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/1414/us-marine-corps-muster-rolls-1798-1958

"Many Boys Of Masonic Home Serve", Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, December 31, 1944, pg. illegible.

Mom's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167546137/grace-brough: accessed May 11, 2026), memorial page for Grace Brough (1880–24 Jan 1929), Find a Grave Memorial ID 167546137, citing Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, Schenectady County, New York, USA; Maintained by Thomas Dunne (contributor 46784633).

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General

Nalty, Bernard C. and Danny J. Crawford, The United States Marines on Iwo Jima, The Battle and the Flag Raisings, History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., 1995.

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 02; Assembly District: 01; City: Schenectady Ward 11; County: Schenectady; Page: 8

New York Department of Health; Albany, NY; NY State Death Index

"Rev. Bambach Succumbs in New York", Schenectady Gazette, Schenectady, NY, August 2, 1954, pg 13.

"Scholarships At Union Awarded Local Residents", The Times Record, Troy, NY, August 26, 1941, pg. 18.

"Service Flag Dedicated", Schenectady Gazette, Schenectady, NY, October 13, 1942, pg. 20.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Schenectady, Schenectady, New York; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 0048; FHL microfilm: 2341380

Supporting Documents

The following four documents are relevant pages extracted from Erskine's Iwo Jima Action Report.