John "Jack" Cecil DeLellis
Private First Class
John "Jack" Cecil DeLellis
Hometown
Date of Birth
Location of Death
Date of Death
Location of Burial
More About Private First Class DeLellis
John "Jack" Cecil Delellis was born on Nov. 1, 1921, in Waukesha, Wis., to Victor and Grace Delellis. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve on Oct. 13, 1942.
He was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and went overseas with that unit in late-1943 to establish a beachhead on the Tarawa Atoll.
Imperial Japanese forces had dug in heavily in preparation for an American assault, and when his unit began the invasion, they were met with a wall of gunfire.
Scores of Marines were killed before they even reached the island. PFC Delellis was one of the lucky Marines of his unit who was able to wade ashore and, through bitter fighting, the Marines were able to push the Japanese back into the jungles of Betio Island. For two days, Delellis and his brothers-in-arms fought through the jungles of Betio. Sadly, on November 22, 1943, Delellis was struck by Japanese gunfire and killed.
His remains were recovered and buried at Cemetery 26 on Betio Island. However, when the war ended, his remains were unable to be located and he remains missing in action to this day. He is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing in Honolulu.