United States Marine Private First-Class Orville Allen Hutchison from Brookfield, MO. was killed in action during World War II at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands on Sunday, November 21, 1943, at the young age of 20.
At 1:00 pm. Monday, September 9, 2024, United States Marine Private First-Class Orville Allen Hutchison will be laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery, Brookfield, MO. with Full United States Marine Military Funeral Honors conducted by the United States Marines. Services are under the direction of the Rhodes Funeral Home, Brookfield, MO.
Orville Allen Hutchison was born the son of the late Jarvis Detmer and Emma Florence (Mallet) Hutchison on April 10, 1923, in Chillicothe, MO. Orville was raised in Brookfield, MO. along with his three siblings, Carl Edward Hutchison, Alice Irene Hutchison Pipes, and Florence Hutchison Ensor.
Orville entered the United States Marine Corps on June 14, 1941 in St. Louis, MO. Orville served with the King Company, Third Battalion, 8th Marines in the Guadalcanal campaign and the battle of Tarawa.
In the battle of Tarawa operation GALVANIC that commenced on Saturday, November 20, 1943. When the Third Battalion, which included the Kings Company, began heading towards Beach Red 3 to support the heavily engaged BLT (Battalion Landing Team) 2-8, when the amphibious, LCVPs (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnal also known as a Higgins Boat) slammed into a coral reef and stopped. The ramps went down and the marines aboard jumped out into the water over their heads. Some drowned, while the others faced heavy machine gun and mortar fire. Only about a hundred made it to shore. The Kings Company survivors, including PFC Orville Hutchison, were sent to hold the left flank of the Marine line, and they endured heavy machine gun and sniper fire for the rest of the day.
PFC Orville Hutchison survived the first day of his first battle, but unfortunately not on his second day. He succumbed to gunshot wounds on Sunday, November 21, 1943. PFC Orville Hutchison was declared a casualty of World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart. PFC Orville Hutchison’s remains were unidentified for over 80 years, until the Department of Defense and Defense POW/MIA accounting agency program matched his DNA against the DNA of family members and through these methods, PFC Orville Hutchison was identified.
