Louis J. Hauge Jr.

Corporal Louis James Hauge Jr. (December 12, 1924 – May 14, 1945) was a United States Marine who posthumously received his nation's highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for his actions during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.

Louis Hauge Jr. was born on December 12, 1924, in Ada, Minnesota.

He was active in all athletics but left high school after his first year and worked in a canning factory in Ada, where he became assistant foreman.

Hauge was later employed at a shipyard in Tacoma, Washington as a painter.

Hauge was inducted into the Marine Corps Reserve on April 23, 1943, and completed light machine gun school at Camp Elliott, California before serving with the 1st Marine Division at New Caledonia and New Guinea.

Later, he saw combat action on Peleliu as a message runner with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.

In this capacity, Hauge distinguished himself for his bravery under fire and was given a meritorious promotion to corporal.

Corporal Hauge was killed in action on May 14, 1945, while serving on Okinawa as a member of the 1st Marine Division.

For his heroic actions on that day, Hauge was awarded the Medal of Honor.

At the time of his death, Cpl Hauge was squad leader of a machine gun squad in Southern Okinawa engaged in an assault against a heavily fortified Japanese hill.

It was during the evening that the left flank of Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was pinned down by a barrage of mortar and machine gun fire.

The enemy was pouring enfilade fire into the ranks of the Marines.

Quickly spotting the two guns responsible for the damage, Cpl Hauge boldly rushed across an open area, heaving hand grenades as he ran.

Wounded before he reached the first gun, he nevertheless continued his one-man assault and completely destroyed the position.

Without stopping, he pushed forward and attacked the second gun with grenades and demolished it before falling from the deadly fire of the Japanese snipers.

Inspired by his actions, his company rose from their besieged position and pressed home the attack.

The award was presented to his father on June 14, 1946, by Col Norman E. True, USMC, who represented the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Corporal Hauge's remains were either unidentified or not recovered; he is listed on Tablets of the Missing on the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to CORPORAL LOUIS J. HAUGE JR. UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

/S/HARRY S. TRUMAN

The United States Navy container & roll-on/roll-off ship, MV Cpl. Louis J. Hauge Jr. (AK-3000), commissioned on September 7, 1984, is named in honor of Cpl. Hauge.

This ship is the lead ship of its class of five maritime prepositioning ships.

The Cpl. Louis J. Hauge Jr. class is the original class of MPS ships chartered by Military Sealift Command.

A Marine Corps installation on the island of Okinawa was named Camp Louis J. Hauge Jr.

During the Vietnam War, Camp Hauge served as a staging installation for Marines in transit to and from Vietnam.

The camp was decommissioned following the return of Okinawa to the Japanese government.