Frank Aloysius Duffy
Platoon Sergeant Frank Aloysius Duffy, 4th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps
Platoon Sergeant Frank Aloysius Duffy lived at 225 North 10th Street in Camden, NJ, where he served as Democratic deputy registrar in the Camden County Bureau of Permanent Registration. His brother John was serving with the Army Signal Corps in India when Frank joined the Marine Corps in June of 1942. He completed his basic training at Parris Island, SC, and went overseas in the first week of January, 1944.
Corporal Duffy took part in the invasion of the Marshall Islands in February of 1944, landing on Roi Island in the Kwajalein Atoll. He was promoted to Platoon Sergeant and killed in action on July 2, 1944. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was survived by his father, John J. Duffy, of 132 North 11th Street, Camden, NJ, and his brother John, serving with the Army in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. He is listed at the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Japs Plenty Tough, Camden Man Says
Camden Courier-Post —
Frank Duffy Tells About Marshalls; Sends Back Nipponese Money
Take it from the boys who meet them face to face, the Japs are tough customers.
That is made plain in a letter from Corp. Frank A. Duffy, of Marine intelligence, who took part in the Marshalls invasion. Duffy, Democratic deputy registrar in the Camden county bureau of permanent registration, wrote to Victor J. Scharte, registrar, and enclosed some Japanese paper money as souvenirs of his action. He left the country six weeks ago. His letter was dated Feb. 7, arrived 10 days later.
“Just a quick note to let you know that we landed on Roi island, in the Kwajalein atoll,” Duffy wrote. “It was the supply base for the whole Marshalls group. We landed and took the airport which according to advance dope was supposed to be the toughest nut to crack, but the boys on Namur had it a little harder than we did, so you never can tell too much in advance.
“The Jap is tough to lick. From the bombing and Navy gunfire I didn’t think they would be able to stand up, but these suckers kept me in a foxhole the first night and kept bullets whistling over our heads, from where I cannot tell you, as I did not get up to try and find out in the dark.
“The second morning we put dynamite charges in the drainage system and blew them out and some of them still had fight left in them.
“The trip over was perfect, as headquarters ship is not overcrowded, and I slept up on deck under the Higgins boats for most of the trip.
“I have a couple of pieces of Jap money for you boys. If I come across any more I will send it, but most of the stuff we got we turned in to division intelligence and will not get it back until we get to our rear base.
“On Namur island we ran into a load of Jap beer and take it from me it tasted very good, even if it was hot. We also had a couple of cans of Jap tangerines which tasted very good, as I am still not a lover of military rations.”