USMC Gunnery Sgt. Keith Renstrom
- Earned two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, both with “V” device for valor
- His men called him “a Marine’s Marine”
- Led 2nd platoon of F Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th MarDiv during the battle for Tinian
USMC Gunnery Sgt. Keith Renstrom was a devoted Mormon who upheld his personal values prohibiting alcohol and extramarital sex even while serving in the brutal Battle of the Pacific. An exceptional leader and highly decorated Marine, he led two platoons in action on Tinian that killed at least 100 Japanese soldiers and destroyed six enemy tanks. He was widely admired by his men and known to show kindness to “enemy” children he encountered while on Saipan.
As we’re approaching the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, what made victory possible was amphibious warfare. I have recently written a book about the Battle of Iwo Jima, featuring the innovators who made this technology possible. I’d like to share profiles of these amazing individuals.
