Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Pfc. Richard Kraus

Marine Corps Pfc. Richard Edward Kraus had only been overseas for three months during World War II when he gave his life to save his fellow Marines. For making the ultimate sacrifice, the 19-year-old received a posthumous Medal of Honor.  

Kraus was born Nov. 24, 1925, in Chicago to Hazel and August Kraus. He had a sister, Yvonne. When his mother later remarried, he gained two sisters, Gail and Marlys.  

When Kraus was 7, his family moved to Minneapolis. His parents described him as an average boy who attended church, liked sports and was “full of fun,” according to a July 1945 article in the Minneapolis Star newspaper.  

Kraus graduated from Edison High School in 1943, as World War II raged. By the end of that year, he’d turned 18 and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve. Kraus spent the first half of 1944 training in San Diego at Camp Pendleton. In early July 1944, he was deployed to the Pacific, where he served with the 8th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 3rd Amphibious Corps, Fleet Marine Force. 

The first and only major offensive Kraus took part in was the Palau Islands campaign. By mid-September, Kraus landed on the island of Peleliu. Within weeks, Marines and soldiers made headway in securing the island from Japanese forces.  

On Oct. 5, 1944, Kraus and three other Marines volunteered to evacuate a wounded comrade from the front lines. Despite the extreme danger, the small group courageously made their way across enemy lines with a stretcher. They made it a good distance before the enemy began throwing a barrage of hand grenades in their direction, forcing them to take cover before eventually abandoning the mission.  

As the four men headed back, two men dressed like Marines approached them. When Kraus asked them for a password to prove they were who they said they were, the pair didn’t answer. Instead, one of them threw a grenade into the middle of the four Marines.  

Without hesitating, Kraus threw himself on top of the explosive device, covering it with his body so he would absorb the impact of the blast, sparing his comrades. Kraus gave his life to save his fellow Marines.  

On Aug. 2, 1945, Kraus’ mother received the Medal of Honor on her son’s behalf during a ceremony in downtown Minneapolis. Seven other Marines received the nation’s highest honor for valor for their actions in Peleliu.  

Kraus was initially buried in an American cemetery on Peleliu, but his remains were repatriated in 1948. He was reburied in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.  

Kraus has not been forgotten. The destroyer USS Richard Kraus was commissioned in his name in May 1946. It served through the Vietnam War and remained in service until its decommissioning in July 1976.  

A main street on Camp Pendleton was also named in Kraus’ honor.  

This article is part of a weekly series called “Medal of Honor Monday,” in which we highlight one of the more than 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have received the U.S. military’s highest medal for valor.