Albert E. Schwab

United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient

Private First Class Albert Earnest Schwab (July 17, 1920 – May 7, 1945) was a United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the United States' highest military honor — the Medal of Honor — for his heroic actions during the Battle of Okinawa. Just five days short of completing one year of United States Marine Corps service, on May 7, 1945, PFC Schwab singlehandedly destroyed two important Japanese machine gun positions during a critical stage of battle, allowing his pinned down unit to advance.

Albert Earnest Schwab was born on July 17, 1920, in Washington, D. C. Early in his life, his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended local schools, graduating from Tulsa High School in 1937. After one semester at the University of Tulsa, Schwab went to work for an oil company. Inducted into the Marine Corps on May 12, 1944, he was sent for recruit training at the San Diego, California. After graduation he went home on ten days of leave; the only time his family was to see him in the Marine uniform. After this, Schwab was sent to the 2nd Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California. In November he was transferred to the 13th Replacement Draft and on November 12, 1944, departed for overseas duty aboard the Wharton. He joined the 1st Marine Division at Pavuvu Island, in the Russells, and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. On December 24, 1944, Pvt Schwab was promoted to private first class and in February 1945, he, along with the rest of the division, embarked for maneuvers which eventually led to the shores of Okinawa, Japan on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. /S/ HARRY S. TRUMAN

On October 3, 1959, a Marine camp constructed on Okinawa was named Camp Schwab in honor of the heroic Marine. In 2001, American Legion Post 555 in Midway City, California, renamed itself the Albert E. Schwab American Legion Post after Schwab, the brother of a Legion Post 555 member. The Marine Corps League detachment 857 in Schwab's hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the "Albert E. Schwab" detachment. An exhibit in Schwab's honor was erected at Tulsa International Airport. A statue was later added to it, which was completed in 2011.