Carl W. Weiss

Carl Weiss was born in Detroit, Michigan. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on December 18, 1939. After completing basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he served successively at Quantico, Virginia; and at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; during the early part of 1940.

On March 1, 1940, he reported to Fort Mifflin for duty which lasted for over a year. He returned to the base at Quantico briefly in June 1941 before going to sea in the transport USS McCawley (AP-10) at the end of the first week in July for a month's assignment. Promoted to Corporal while in that transport, Weiss returned ashore at Portsmouth, Virginia, on August 14, 1941, and from there, moved on to duty at New River, North Carolina, in September. Weiss was promoted to Sergeant in March 1942, and by the following summer, had been assigned to the Pacific theater in preparation for the Solomon Islands operation.

During that campaign, Sgt. Weiss conducted himself with distinction. While serving with C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, during a battle on November 1, 1942 with Japanese forces near Matanikau River, Guadalcanal, he charged an enemy machine gun position and destroyed it with a hand grenade. Returning to his own machine gun, Weiss directed his gunners in repulsing three fanatical bayonet charges. When one of his men received a wound and fell forward of the emplacement, Sgt. Weiss "crawled forward and dragged his comrade to safety". The next day, he again inched forward over the crest of the hill toward another enemy machine gun. Though the position opened fire on him, he continued forward and lobbed a grenade at the offending weapon. He then attempted to toss another grenade to finish the job begun by the first but was felled, mortally wounded by enemy fire. For "his great personal valor, aggressiveness and fine spirit of self sacrifice," Sgt. Weiss was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.[1]

WEISS, CARL WALTER

Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps
Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division

Date of Action: November 1 & 2, 1942

Citation:

The Navy Cross is presented to Carl Walter Weiss, Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with Company C, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division, in combat against enemy Japanese forces west of the Matanikau River in the Solomon Islands Area on November 1 and 2, 1942. Advancing in the face of persistent enemy machine gun and rifle fire, Sergeant Weiss, with grim determination and dauntless courage, neutralized an enemy machine gun nest with a grenade and returned to set up his own machine gun. As the infuriated Japanese charged up the hill with bayonets, Sergeant Weiss, directing the fire of his gunners, repulsed them three times, but during the last assault, one of his men was wounded and rolled forward of the gun. Under the punishing fire of the enemy, Sergeant Weiss crawled forward and dragged his comrade to safety. On the following day as Sergeant Weiss again inched his way over the nose of the hill to set up his gun, a hostile automatic weapon fired upon him, but he continued on and threw a hand grenade into the enemy position. As he attempted to throw a second grenade, he was hit and killed. His great personal valor, aggressiveness and fine spirit of self-sacrifice were an inspiration to his comrades and contributed in a large measure to the success of this operation. He gallantly gave up his life in the defense of his country.[2]

In 1944, USS Weiss (DE-378), a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, was named in his honor. This ship was cancelled on June 5, 1944 before completion, and her materials were scrapped. Subsequently, the Crosley-class high speed transport, USS Weiss (APD-135) was named in his honor.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• "Weiss". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 2006-09-14.