About A Marine by Monday

Dreams of leaving the small town of Weleetka, Oklahoma, danced in M.B. Hamby's head. They seemed so real and attainable, yet they never came true. Instead, he managed a local department store, earning wages to support his widowed mother and two older brothers. After all, Wally, the oldest, was on track to become a world-renowned neurosurgeon and required funds to get through school. Heaven knew their mother couldn't help, and the middle child, Alex, simply wouldn't.

When the U.S. entered World War II on December 8, 1941, M.B. saw an opportunity to get paid, get out of Weleetka, and experience the thrill of a lifetime. But there was one problem: he could barely hear.

Despite the muffled sounds of the world around him, the call of duty rang loud and clear. It pulsed through his veins and fueled his determination. And when his military entry physical revealed a failed hearing test, he became more resolute than ever before.

Experience M.B.'s journey through the pages of his first-hand accounts as he navigates the thrilling and challenging adventures that await him in the United States Marine Corps.

His stories will take you from the lines of a crowded boot camp to far-off lands filled with adrenaline-pumping missions and unexpected friendships forged. Get ready to be immersed in a world of bravery, sacrifice, and camaraderie as you follow M.B.'s footsteps through his time in the Corps.

Packed full of treasured, first-hand accounts, A Marine by Monday is a beautiful reminder of both the opportunity and heartbreak that comes with being a nation at war.

Major Leon Williamson stands in front of a tropical hotel entrance in Cuba

Col. Leon M. Williamson Commanding Officer VMSB-333

Col. Leon Williamson is an American World War II hero. He served with Marine Scout Bombing Squadron VMSB-241, "Sons of Satan", as a pilot during the Battle of Midway.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Navy Cross for his courageous actions during the Battle of Midway. His first hand accounts of the Battle have been preserved and are available for viewing at the links below.

After the Battle of Midway he served in Guadalcanal and then went on to be Commanding Officer of VMSB-333. It was here that he met M.B., who served as Williamson's radio gunner.

Those Who Gave All

Throughout M.B.'s flight log and journal, are small tributes listing each man who died while serving with VMSB-333.

Five of the men were never recovered and are honored on the Courts of the Missing in Honolulu.

These men are:

Staff Sergeant Francis J. Hackett June 6, 1945
Corporal Lawrence E. Lavelle, June 6, 1945
Staff Sergeant Fredrick John Bacon, August 1, 1944
First Lieutenant Ralph Downing Fitzgerald, August 1, 1944
First Lieutenant Doran DeWitt Kemper, December 6, 1944

Those who were recovered and sent home to their families include:

First Lieutenant James G. VanDevender, December 5, 1943
First Lieutenant Raymond Haskell Jolly, November 22, 1944, Purple Heart Recipient
First Lieutenant Paul Johnson, Jr., May 16, 1945

If I have failed to list anyone, please contact me and let me know so I may research and add them.