Twenty-seven men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity during the battle of Iwo Jima: 22 Marines, four Navy corpsmen, and one Navy landing craft commander. Exactly half of the awards issued to Marines and corpsmen of the V Amphibious Corps were posthumous. Within a larger institutional context, Iwo Jima represented more than one-fourth of the 80 Medals of Honor awarded Marines during the Second World War. This was Iwo Jima’s Roll of Honor:
- Cpl Charles J. Berry, 1/26, 3 March 1945[A]
- PFC William R. Caddy, 3/26, 3 March[A]
- LtCol Justice M. Chambers, 3/25, 19–22 February
- Sgt Darrell S. Cole, 1/23, 19 February[A]
- Capt Robert Dunlap, 1/26, 20–21 February
- Sgt Ross F. Gray, 1/25, 21 February
- Sgt William G. Harrell, 1/28, 3 March
- Lt Rufus G. Herring, USNR, LCI 449, 17 February
- PFC Douglas T. Jacobson, 3/23, 26 February
- PltSgt Joseph J. Julian, 1/27, 9 March[A]
- PFC James D. LaBelle, 1/27, 8 March[A]
- 2dLt John H. Leims, 1/9, 7 March
- PFC Jacklyn H. Lucas, 1/26, 20 February
- 1stLt Jack Lummus, 2/27, 8 March[A]
- Capt Joseph J. McCarthy, 2/24, 21 February
- 1stLt Harry L. Martin, 5th Pioneer Battalion, 26 March[A]
- Pvt George Phillips, 2/28, 14 March[A]
- PhM 1/c Francis J. Pierce, USN, 2/24, 15–16 March
- PFC Donald J. Ruhl, 2/28, 19–21 February[A]
- Pvt Franklin E. Sigler, 2/26, 14 March
- Cpl Tony Stein, 1/28, 19 February[A]
- PhM 2/c George Wahlen, USN, 2/26, 3 March
- GySgt William G. Walsh, 3/27, 27 February[A]
- Pvt Wilson D. Watson, 2/9, 26–27 February
- Cpl Hershel W. Williams, 1/21, 23 February
- PhM 3/c Jack Williams, USN, 3/28, 3 March[A]
- PhM 1/c John H. Willis, USN, 3/27, 28 February[A]
[A] Posthumous
[Sidebar ([page 52]):]
Assault Divisions’ Command Structures
As the 3d, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions conducted their final preparations for Operation Detachment, these were the infantry commanders who would lead the way at the beginning of the battle:
| 3d Marine Division | |
| 3d Marines | Col James A. Stewart |
| 9th Marines | Col Howard N. Kenyon |
| 1/9 | LtCol Carey A. Randall |
| 2/9 | LtCol Robert E. Cushman, Jr. |
| 3/9 | LtCol Harold C. Boehm |
| 21st Marines | Col Hartnoll J. Withers |
| 1/21 | LtCol Marlowe C. Williams |
| 2/21 | LtCol Lowell E. English |
| 3/21 | LtCol Wendell H. Duplantis |
| 4th Marine Division | |
| 23d Marines | Col Walter W. Wensinger |
| 1/23 | LtCol Ralph Haas |
| 2/23 | Maj Robert H. Davidson |
| 3/23 | Maj James S. Scales |
| 24th Marines | Col Walter I. Jordan |
| 1/24 | Maj Paul S. Treitel |
| 2/24 | LtCol Richard Rothwell |
| 3/24 | LtCol Alexander A. Vandegrift, Jr. |
| 25th Marines | Col John R. Lanigan |
| 1/25 | LtCol Hollis U. Mustain |
| 2/25 | LtCol Lewis C. Hudson, Jr. |
| 3/25 | LtCol Justice M. Chambers |
| 5th Marine Division | |
| 26th Marines | Col Chester B. Graham |
| 1/26 | LtCol Daniel C. Pollock |
| 2/26 | LtCol Joseph P. Sayers |
| 3/26 | LtCol Tom M. Trotti |
| 27th Marines | Col Thomas A. Wornham |
| 1/27 | LtCol John A. Butler |
| 2/27 | Maj John W. Antonelli |
| 3/27 | LtCol Donn J. Robertson |
| 28th Marines | Col Harry B. Liversedge |
| 1/28 | LtCol Jackson B. Butterfield |
| 2/28 | LtCol Chandler W. Johnson |
| 3/28 | LtCol Charles E. Shepard, Jr. |
[Note: Of those infantry battalion commanders who landed on Iwo Jima on D-Day, only seven remained unwounded and still retained command at the battle’s end.]