Urho K. Tuomikoski
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Urho K. Tuomikoski was inducted into the Army on April 29, 1941, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Home at entry: Ely, Minnesota.
Mr. Tuomikoski served as a Corporal and company clerk with Headquarters Detachment of the Third Battalion of the 164th Infantry Regiment
Mr. Tuomikoski shared the following: “Departed March 18, 1942, from San Francisco on the SS Calvin Coolidge, a peacetime luxury liner. Arrived in Melbourne, Australia, on April 8th. On April 12th boarded SS Santa Paula for New Caledonia. Trained there until October and boarded SS Zeland for Guadalcanal.
"Landed under artillery fire October 13 as backup for Marine operations. We no sooner landed when we were under a Japanese bombing attack, a small initiation as to what we were getting into. That night, the Japanese Navy came in and they really bombarded us. I’ll never forget the noise the 18-inch shells made when going overhead, aiming for the airport.
"While on Guadalcanal, I made a scouting mission with the First Marine Scouts to Grassy Knoll (about two miles in front of our defense lines). Before we left on this mission, General Vandergrift (commander, First Marine Division) spoke to us in front of his headquarters dugout. When we came under heavy bombing attack, he ordered us into his dugout while he stood in the entrance and watched the action. The general was a very calm, pleasant officer.
"We received letters of commendation from General Vandegrift, from C. F. McCallum, Marine Corps Adjutant, from Gen. Clifton B. Gates, Commander, First Marines, and Col. Brian E. Moore, 164th Infantry Regiment. The Third Battalion, 164th Infantry, also received a Presidential Unit Citation with star. Guadalcanal was considered a turning point in the war.
"In February 1943, the 164th Infantry boarded the SS Fuller bound for Fiji for rest and combat training. From Fiji we went to Bougainville, landing there in December 1943 for more fierce fighting. We were stationed there until January 1945. We arrived back in San Francisco on the SS Hershey in June.”
He was awarded the following: Bronze Star Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with star, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, World War II Victory Medal, six overseas service bars, and Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star.
Mr. Tuomikoski was honorably discharged on June 16, 1945, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 326.