Richard John Tullos was born December 10, 1925, the son of Odie and Alma Tullos of Detroit, Michigan. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Detroit, Michigan on February 15, 1943 and went to San Diego for training. He became part of the Company I, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force on January 6, 1944 and sailed for the Pacific on USS Biddle on January 13, 1944. That outfit saw a lot of action in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945. He participated in the Battles of Saipan and Tinian and was authorized to wear the Presidential Unit Citation for those actions. He also participated in the battle of Roi and Namur at Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. He received a gunshot wound on March 11 that led to his death the next day, about 2 weeks before the end of the Iwo Jima campaign. The letter to his next of kin was not sent until March 25, 1945, He was initially buried in Grave #1598, Row #32, Plot #1 of the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima. Over 6000 Marines died on Iwo.
Corporal Tullos was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for action on Iwo Jima. His citation reads as shown below.
Corporal Tullos' group includes his officially engraved posthumous Type 2 full wrap brooch Purple Heart with its short titled case and cardboard shipping box. The group now contains Tullos' USMC casualty card and complete service record from St. Louis.
Here is a link to a great color video on the Iwo Jima battle:
