Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard, A Marine's Story
Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard, A Marine's Story
Angela — this is a solemn one. Makin Raiders deserve precision and restraint. Let’s give Sergeant Allard a clear, historically grounded entry without overstatement.
Here is your full Everyday Patriot package:
Image Title
Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard – U.S. Marine Raider – Makin Island – World War II
Alt Text
Graphic tribute featuring a black-and-white portrait of Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard framed by smoke against an American flag background labeled “A Marine’s Story” and “WWII – #EverydayPatriot.”
SEO Title
Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard – Marine Raider Executed After Makin Island Raid
Meta Description (150 characters)
Marine Raider Sgt. Robert Vincent Allard was captured during the 1942 Makin Island raid and executed in captivity.
Polished & Expanded Essay
Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard was born on November 7, 1919, in New York, New York.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on November 4, 1937, just days shy of his eighteenth birthday, beginning a military career that would place him among the earliest American special operations forces of World War II.
After completing additional specialized training, Sergeant Allard became part of the Marine Raiders, an elite unit formed in 1942 to conduct amphibious light infantry and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines. The Raiders were tasked with striking swiftly and withdrawing before the enemy could mount a counterattack.
In August 1942, Sergeant Allard deployed as part of the Makin Island Raid in the Gilbert Islands, one of the first American offensive operations in the Pacific following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Conducted by Carlson’s Raiders, the mission aimed to disrupt Japanese installations and divert attention from the larger Guadalcanal campaign.
On August 18, 1942, during evacuation operations following the raid, Sergeant Allard and nine other Marines were left behind and subsequently captured by Japanese forces. They were transported to Kwajalein Atoll.
After several weeks in captivity, the ten captured Marines were executed on October 16, 1942.
Their deaths became one of the early tragic episodes of the Pacific War and a stark reminder of the brutality faced by prisoners of war during the conflict.
Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard’s remains were never recovered. He is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Tablet of the Missing.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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