Lyon, Herbert C.

Description

Herbert Chester Lyon was born on August 8, 1912, in Greenwich, Connecticut to Ellen Elizabeth “Nellie” Cooney, age 32, and Chester Brown Lyon, age 33. He had three sisters Marion, Mildred and Dorothy.

In Rye his family lived at 10 Elmwood Ave and were members of the Church of the Resurrection.

He married Dorothy Winfred Ledger in Pound Ridge, New York, on July 29, 1932, when he was 19 years old. They would have three children.

Before the war Herbert was working for the County Transportation Corp. in Port Chester, NY.

Herbert enlisted on March 1, 1941, when he was 28 years old. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II as a Staff/Sgt.

According to Marine Corps Muster Rolls, he served 1 year and 10 months over seas as a radioman in Company “B”, First Tank Battalion, First Marine Division. .

The first combat operation for units from the tank battalion was the Guadalcanal campaign, in which they were equipped with the predecessor of the famed M3 Stuart light tank; the M2A4 light tank. On 7 August 1942, Companies A and B took part in the 1st Marine Division’s landings on the Japanese held island. The next month saw, M2A4 light tanks from the battalion supporting infantry units in the Battle of Bloody Ridge. The two companies continued to engage the enemy until the end of the year when the 1st Marine Division was relieved by the Army forces.

Herbert then returned to the US and trained at Fort Pendleton joining Company D Second Armored Amphibian Battalion

In May 1944 the decision was made to assign this battalion to the V Amphibious Corps vice the 2nd Marine Division. This was revised in September 1944 when the battalion was again reassigned to Fleet Marine Forces, Pacific. LVT-4s from the 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, again transporting Marines from the 2d Marine Division, came ashore at Saipan, south of Garapan at 0843 on June 15, 1944.

On July 24, 1944 the 2nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion with 96 LVT-2s and 40 LVT-4s, brought the 24th Marine Regiment ashore during the Battle of Tinian.

In April 1945 Herbert’s Battalion would again transport Marines ashore for the Battle of Okinawa. Herbert received his honorable discharge on August 20, 1945. View Discharge Record

After the war Herbert and his family lived on Dearborn Ave. He was working in the then new television industry as a technician.

Herbert Chester Lyon died on February 16, 1999, in Miami, Florida, when he was 86 years old.
A funeral Mass was held at Christ Our King Catholic Church.