**********COUSIN**********
**********UNITED STATES MARINE**********
Tread lightly, 'tis a soldiers grave,
A lonely, mossy mound;
And yet to hearts like mine and thine
It should be holy ground~
Speak softly, let no careless laugh,
No idle, thoughtless jest,
Escape your lips where sweetly sleeps
The hero in his rest~
For him no reveille will beat
When morning beams shall come;
For him, at night, no tattoo rolls
Its thunders from the drum~
Tread lightly! for a man bequeathed,
Ere laid beneath this sod,
His ashes to his native land,
His gallant soul to God~
=======
Samuel Bourassa was born 29 Mar 1926 in Hallowell, Kennebec County, Maine. He was the third child of Burneice Mae Hayes (b. 1898) and Alexander George Bourassa (b. 3 Jun 1900). The couple had married in Bath, ME 7 Nov 1920. Two years before that, in 1918 when registering for the WWI draft, Alexander was described as slender of medium height with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time he married Alexander, or Nick as he was known, was a shoemaker; Burneice was employed as a clerk. Samuel's sister, Bertha Annette, was born 22 Nov 1921. A brother, Clifford Sony Bourassa, would follow in 1924 only to die in 1928. His father died in 1937 as a young man and was buried in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell. By 1940 Burneice and her two remaining children were still in town, residing on Water Street, which ran along the Kennebec River. She was not working, but indicated that she had income from other sources.
Samuel was educated at the local schools and attended the First Baptist Church. He completed his high school education in three years instead of four, graduating in June 1944 from Hallowell High, where he participated in most activities including dramatics. He was a three-letter athlete, "grid captain and a varsity standout on both the basketball and baseball teams during his senior year." Samuel was also assistant leader of Boy Scout Troop 147, which honored him with a surprise party in appreciation of his services in early June 1944, before he left to join the USMCR.
Samuel began his service on 26 Jun 1944, when he was 18 years old, reporting for duty as a private in Third Recruit Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Base, Parris Island, SC. He undertook advanced training at Camp LeJeune in October 1944 as part of the 34th Replenishment Draft and had a brief furlough home at the end of the year. In January of 1945 he was still with the 34th, now as part of the 3rd Marine Division, when he was shipped out of San Francisco, bound for fighting in the Pacific. It was there, from 19 Feb - 26 Mar 1945 that 70,000 US Marines opposed 18,000 Japanese fighters in the Battle for Iwo Jima, Japan. The island was necessary as an air base for the B-29 "Superfortresses," to put them in range of the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima would become one of the bloodiest US Marine battles ever, claiming 7,000 men.
By early March of 1945, the Japanese were making their stand in three discrete strongholds with most of the fighting being done by flamethrowers, explosives and small arms against an entrenched Japanese defense. The 3rd Marine Division "slowly ground down the defenders in 'Cushman's Pocket' during fierce fighting." It was during this action, on 11 Mar 1945, that Pfc Samuel Hayes Bourassa, not quite 19 years old, was "killed in action."
Memorial services were held for him at the First Baptist Church on Sunday, 8 Apr 1945 with both his Boy Scout Troop and the local VFW taking part in the ceremony. In March of 1948 his body was repatriated aboard the Walter W. Schwenk along with 3,256 other of the fallen being returning from Pacific fighting as part of a program begun in October 1947 to bring our soldiers home. Samuel Bourassa was laid to rest in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell, Maine alongside his father.
Decorations
Purple Heart - 1945
Combat Action Ribbon - 1945
Navy Presidential Unit Citation - 1945
American Campaign Medal - 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - 1945
World War II Victory Medal - 1945
Assignments
1945-1945, 745, HQ Bn, 3rd Marine Division
Trainings
1944, Boot Camp (Parris Island, SC)
Battles
1945-1945 Western Pacific Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of Iwo Jim
Current Situation
He was with the 34th Replacement Draft, 3rd MARDIV
SERVICE # 932544
**********UNITED STATES MARINE**********
Tread lightly, 'tis a soldiers grave,
A lonely, mossy mound;
And yet to hearts like mine and thine
It should be holy ground~
Speak softly, let no careless laugh,
No idle, thoughtless jest,
Escape your lips where sweetly sleeps
The hero in his rest~
For him no reveille will beat
When morning beams shall come;
For him, at night, no tattoo rolls
Its thunders from the drum~
Tread lightly! for a man bequeathed,
Ere laid beneath this sod,
His ashes to his native land,
His gallant soul to God~
=======
Samuel Bourassa was born 29 Mar 1926 in Hallowell, Kennebec County, Maine. He was the third child of Burneice Mae Hayes (b. 1898) and Alexander George Bourassa (b. 3 Jun 1900). The couple had married in Bath, ME 7 Nov 1920. Two years before that, in 1918 when registering for the WWI draft, Alexander was described as slender of medium height with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time he married Alexander, or Nick as he was known, was a shoemaker; Burneice was employed as a clerk. Samuel's sister, Bertha Annette, was born 22 Nov 1921. A brother, Clifford Sony Bourassa, would follow in 1924 only to die in 1928. His father died in 1937 as a young man and was buried in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell. By 1940 Burneice and her two remaining children were still in town, residing on Water Street, which ran along the Kennebec River. She was not working, but indicated that she had income from other sources.
Samuel was educated at the local schools and attended the First Baptist Church. He completed his high school education in three years instead of four, graduating in June 1944 from Hallowell High, where he participated in most activities including dramatics. He was a three-letter athlete, "grid captain and a varsity standout on both the basketball and baseball teams during his senior year." Samuel was also assistant leader of Boy Scout Troop 147, which honored him with a surprise party in appreciation of his services in early June 1944, before he left to join the USMCR.
Samuel began his service on 26 Jun 1944, when he was 18 years old, reporting for duty as a private in Third Recruit Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Base, Parris Island, SC. He undertook advanced training at Camp LeJeune in October 1944 as part of the 34th Replenishment Draft and had a brief furlough home at the end of the year. In January of 1945 he was still with the 34th, now as part of the 3rd Marine Division, when he was shipped out of San Francisco, bound for fighting in the Pacific. It was there, from 19 Feb - 26 Mar 1945 that 70,000 US Marines opposed 18,000 Japanese fighters in the Battle for Iwo Jima, Japan. The island was necessary as an air base for the B-29 "Superfortresses," to put them in range of the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima would become one of the bloodiest US Marine battles ever, claiming 7,000 men.
By early March of 1945, the Japanese were making their stand in three discrete strongholds with most of the fighting being done by flamethrowers, explosives and small arms against an entrenched Japanese defense. The 3rd Marine Division "slowly ground down the defenders in 'Cushman's Pocket' during fierce fighting." It was during this action, on 11 Mar 1945, that Pfc Samuel Hayes Bourassa, not quite 19 years old, was "killed in action."
Memorial services were held for him at the First Baptist Church on Sunday, 8 Apr 1945 with both his Boy Scout Troop and the local VFW taking part in the ceremony. In March of 1948 his body was repatriated aboard the Walter W. Schwenk along with 3,256 other of the fallen being returning from Pacific fighting as part of a program begun in October 1947 to bring our soldiers home. Samuel Bourassa was laid to rest in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell, Maine alongside his father.
Decorations
Purple Heart - 1945
Combat Action Ribbon - 1945
Navy Presidential Unit Citation - 1945
American Campaign Medal - 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - 1945
World War II Victory Medal - 1945
Assignments
1945-1945, 745, HQ Bn, 3rd Marine Division
Trainings
1944, Boot Camp (Parris Island, SC)
Battles
1945-1945 Western Pacific Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of Iwo Jim
Current Situation
He was with the 34th Replacement Draft, 3rd MARDIV
SERVICE # 932544
**********COUSIN**********
**********UNITED STATES MARINE**********
Tread lightly, 'tis a soldiers grave,
A lonely, mossy mound;
And yet to hearts like mine and thine
It should be holy ground~
Speak softly, let no careless laugh,
No idle, thoughtless jest,
Escape your lips where sweetly sleeps
The hero in his rest~
For him no reveille will beat
When morning beams shall come;
For him, at night, no tattoo rolls
Its thunders from the drum~
Tread lightly! for a man bequeathed,
Ere laid beneath this sod,
His ashes to his native land,
His gallant soul to God~
=======
Samuel Bourassa was born 29 Mar 1926 in Hallowell, Kennebec County, Maine. He was the third child of Burneice Mae Hayes (b. 1898) and Alexander George Bourassa (b. 3 Jun 1900). The couple had married in Bath, ME 7 Nov 1920. Two years before that, in 1918 when registering for the WWI draft, Alexander was described as slender of medium height with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time he married Alexander, or Nick as he was known, was a shoemaker; Burneice was employed as a clerk. Samuel's sister, Bertha Annette, was born 22 Nov 1921. A brother, Clifford Sony Bourassa, would follow in 1924 only to die in 1928. His father died in 1937 as a young man and was buried in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell. By 1940 Burneice and her two remaining children were still in town, residing on Water Street, which ran along the Kennebec River. She was not working, but indicated that she had income from other sources.
Samuel was educated at the local schools and attended the First Baptist Church. He completed his high school education in three years instead of four, graduating in June 1944 from Hallowell High, where he participated in most activities including dramatics. He was a three-letter athlete, "grid captain and a varsity standout on both the basketball and baseball teams during his senior year." Samuel was also assistant leader of Boy Scout Troop 147, which honored him with a surprise party in appreciation of his services in early June 1944, before he left to join the USMCR.
Samuel began his service on 26 Jun 1944, when he was 18 years old, reporting for duty as a private in Third Recruit Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Base, Parris Island, SC. He undertook advanced training at Camp LeJeune in October 1944 as part of the 34th Replenishment Draft and had a brief furlough home at the end of the year. In January of 1945 he was still with the 34th, now as part of the 3rd Marine Division, when he was shipped out of San Francisco, bound for fighting in the Pacific. It was there, from 19 Feb - 26 Mar 1945 that 70,000 US Marines opposed 18,000 Japanese fighters in the Battle for Iwo Jima, Japan. The island was necessary as an air base for the B-29 "Superfortresses," to put them in range of the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima would become one of the bloodiest US Marine battles ever, claiming 7,000 men.
By early March of 1945, the Japanese were making their stand in three discrete strongholds with most of the fighting being done by flamethrowers, explosives and small arms against an entrenched Japanese defense. The 3rd Marine Division "slowly ground down the defenders in 'Cushman's Pocket' during fierce fighting." It was during this action, on 11 Mar 1945, that Pfc Samuel Hayes Bourassa, not quite 19 years old, was "killed in action."
Memorial services were held for him at the First Baptist Church on Sunday, 8 Apr 1945 with both his Boy Scout Troop and the local VFW taking part in the ceremony. In March of 1948 his body was repatriated aboard the Walter W. Schwenk along with 3,256 other of the fallen being returning from Pacific fighting as part of a program begun in October 1947 to bring our soldiers home. Samuel Bourassa was laid to rest in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell, Maine alongside his father.
Decorations
Purple Heart - 1945
Combat Action Ribbon - 1945
Navy Presidential Unit Citation - 1945
American Campaign Medal - 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - 1945
World War II Victory Medal - 1945
Assignments
1945-1945, 745, HQ Bn, 3rd Marine Division
Trainings
1944, Boot Camp (Parris Island, SC)
Battles
1945-1945 Western Pacific Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of Iwo Jim
Current Situation
He was with the 34th Replacement Draft, 3rd MARDIV
SERVICE # 932544
**********UNITED STATES MARINE**********
Tread lightly, 'tis a soldiers grave,
A lonely, mossy mound;
And yet to hearts like mine and thine
It should be holy ground~
Speak softly, let no careless laugh,
No idle, thoughtless jest,
Escape your lips where sweetly sleeps
The hero in his rest~
For him no reveille will beat
When morning beams shall come;
For him, at night, no tattoo rolls
Its thunders from the drum~
Tread lightly! for a man bequeathed,
Ere laid beneath this sod,
His ashes to his native land,
His gallant soul to God~
=======
Samuel Bourassa was born 29 Mar 1926 in Hallowell, Kennebec County, Maine. He was the third child of Burneice Mae Hayes (b. 1898) and Alexander George Bourassa (b. 3 Jun 1900). The couple had married in Bath, ME 7 Nov 1920. Two years before that, in 1918 when registering for the WWI draft, Alexander was described as slender of medium height with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time he married Alexander, or Nick as he was known, was a shoemaker; Burneice was employed as a clerk. Samuel's sister, Bertha Annette, was born 22 Nov 1921. A brother, Clifford Sony Bourassa, would follow in 1924 only to die in 1928. His father died in 1937 as a young man and was buried in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell. By 1940 Burneice and her two remaining children were still in town, residing on Water Street, which ran along the Kennebec River. She was not working, but indicated that she had income from other sources.
Samuel was educated at the local schools and attended the First Baptist Church. He completed his high school education in three years instead of four, graduating in June 1944 from Hallowell High, where he participated in most activities including dramatics. He was a three-letter athlete, "grid captain and a varsity standout on both the basketball and baseball teams during his senior year." Samuel was also assistant leader of Boy Scout Troop 147, which honored him with a surprise party in appreciation of his services in early June 1944, before he left to join the USMCR.
Samuel began his service on 26 Jun 1944, when he was 18 years old, reporting for duty as a private in Third Recruit Battalion, Recruit Depot, Marine Base, Parris Island, SC. He undertook advanced training at Camp LeJeune in October 1944 as part of the 34th Replenishment Draft and had a brief furlough home at the end of the year. In January of 1945 he was still with the 34th, now as part of the 3rd Marine Division, when he was shipped out of San Francisco, bound for fighting in the Pacific. It was there, from 19 Feb - 26 Mar 1945 that 70,000 US Marines opposed 18,000 Japanese fighters in the Battle for Iwo Jima, Japan. The island was necessary as an air base for the B-29 "Superfortresses," to put them in range of the Japanese home islands. Iwo Jima would become one of the bloodiest US Marine battles ever, claiming 7,000 men.
By early March of 1945, the Japanese were making their stand in three discrete strongholds with most of the fighting being done by flamethrowers, explosives and small arms against an entrenched Japanese defense. The 3rd Marine Division "slowly ground down the defenders in 'Cushman's Pocket' during fierce fighting." It was during this action, on 11 Mar 1945, that Pfc Samuel Hayes Bourassa, not quite 19 years old, was "killed in action."
Memorial services were held for him at the First Baptist Church on Sunday, 8 Apr 1945 with both his Boy Scout Troop and the local VFW taking part in the ceremony. In March of 1948 his body was repatriated aboard the Walter W. Schwenk along with 3,256 other of the fallen being returning from Pacific fighting as part of a program begun in October 1947 to bring our soldiers home. Samuel Bourassa was laid to rest in the Village Cemetery in Hallowell, Maine alongside his father.
Decorations
Purple Heart - 1945
Combat Action Ribbon - 1945
Navy Presidential Unit Citation - 1945
American Campaign Medal - 1945
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - 1945
World War II Victory Medal - 1945
Assignments
1945-1945, 745, HQ Bn, 3rd Marine Division
Trainings
1944, Boot Camp (Parris Island, SC)
Battles
1945-1945 Western Pacific Campaign (1944-45)/Battle of Iwo Jim
Current Situation
He was with the 34th Replacement Draft, 3rd MARDIV
SERVICE # 932544
