DOB/DOD: August 26, 1923 (Waterbury, CT) – March 8, 1945; 21 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married Mary O’Brien Terreau (1929-1987) on June 17, 1944, in Torrington, Connecticut
LOCAL ADDRESS: Harwinton section of Torrington
ENLISTMENT: March 28, 1944, in Springfield, Massachusetts
SERVICE NUMBER: 962667
UNIT: Company B, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 0745, Rifleman
FAMILY: Born to Canadian-born Omer (1877-1943) and Mildred Costello Terreau (1898-1986). Oldest of three children. Two sisters, Shirley Terreau O’Brien (1925-2020) and Mary Terreau Barden Pompa (1930-1987). 1 Worked for Handey Machine Company in Torrington before the service. 2
CIRCUMSTANCES: Boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. By October 1944, he was permanently assigned to his final unit, the 4th Marine Division, 24th Marines, 1st Battalion. 4 Died from a gunshot wound to the head. 3 PFC Terreau and PFC Joseph Martel of Willimantic, Connecticut, were in the same company. They died 13 days apart.
Photos were contributed by Judy Czapor, niece of Private Terreau.
Edward Terreau and Mary O’Brien.
Edward Terreau and Mary O’Brien wedding photo.
Edward and Mary are on the left, and Shirley Terreau and Vincent O’Brien (Judy Czapor’s parents) are on the right. It was a double wedding!
Initially buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, Row 27, Plot 1, Grave 1346. At his mother’s request, his remains were repatriated and buried on January 12, 1949, in Long Island National Cemetery, 2040 Wellwood Avenue, East Farmingdale, New York; Section J, Plot 15917. 3Photo by Jeff DeWitt.
1 – 1940 census https://www.ancestry.com/cs/1940-census
2 – https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238
3 – USMC Casualty Report received via FOIA request
4 – USMC Muster Rolls: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1089/
5 – CT marriage records: https://www.ctatatelibrarydata.org/marriage-records/