Tony Stein

Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps

Medal of Honor Recipient

World War II

Corporal Tony Stein (30 September 1921 - 1 March 1945) was a U.S. Marine who was posthumously awarded the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during World War II.

Tony Stein was born in Dayton, OH, on 30 September 1921, and attended Kiser High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on 22 September 1942.

On 19 February 1945, while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, in the Volcano Islands, Stein was killed during a mission in which he and a group of fellow Marines had volunteered to locate some enemy machine gun emplacements which were holding up the advance of his entire company. He was killed less than two weeks later during another battle. For his heroic actions on 19 February 1945, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. The first man of his unit to be on station after hitting the beach in the initial assault, Cpl. Stein, armed with a personally improvised aircraft-type weapon, provided rapid covering fire as the remainder of his platoon attempted to move into position. When his comrades were stalled by a concentrated machinegun and mortar barrage, he gallantly stood upright and exposed himself to the enemy's view, thereby drawing the hostile fire to his own person and enabling him to observe the location of the furiously blazing hostile guns. Determined to neutralize the strategically placed weapons, he boldly charged the enemy pillboxes 1 by 1 and succeeded in killing 20 of the enemy during the furious single-handed assault. Cool and courageous under the merciless hail of exploding shells and bullets which fell on all sides, he continued to deliver the fire of his skillfully improvised weapon at a tremendous rate of speed which rapidly exhausted his ammunition. Undaunted, he removed his helmet and shoes to expedite his movements and ran back to the beach for additional ammunition, making a total of 8 trips under intense fire and carrying or assisting a wounded man back each time. Despite the unrelenting savagery and confusion of battle, he rendered prompt assistance to his platoon whenever the unit was in position, directing the fire of a half-track against a stubborn pillbox until he had effected the ultimate destruction of the Japanese fortification. Later in the day, although his weapon was twice shot from his hands, he personally covered the withdrawal of his platoon to the company position. Stouthearted and indomitable, Cpl. Stein, by his aggressive initiative sound judgment, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of terrific odds, contributed materially to the fulfillment of his mission, and his outstanding valor throughout the bitter hours of conflict sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Corporal Stein's Medal of Honor and citation were presented to his widow on 16 February 1946 during a ceremony in the office of Governor Frank Lausche of Ohio.

Medals and Awards

Medal of Honor
Purple Heart

Honors

The USS Stein (FF-1065), a United States Navy Knox-class frigate, was named in honor of Corporal Stein.

Death and Burial

Corporal Tony Stein was killed in action on 1 March 1945. Following the war, his body was returned to the United States from the 5th Division for re-interment at Calvary Cemetery in his birth city of Dayton, OH. His grave is located at Section 8, Row 9. Corporal Stein, Dayton's only World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor, was buried with full military honors on 17 December 1948 following funeral services in Our Lady of the Rosary Church.