Michael James "Mike" Fenton was born to Brigadier General Francis I. Fenton USMC and Mary KELLY on November 30th 1925 in Solano County, California. Michael had an older brother, Francis I. Fenton, Jr. who was born on September 29th 1922 in Los Angeles County, California. The boys were raised Irish Catholic and instilled with a love of their country and their heritage.Mike's father was a career Marine officer. He would be deployed for any amount of time, or the family may be together but would move every few years. The 1930 US Census shows Mike living with his family on the Navy Base in Guam in the Pacific. The following family members are recorded as living in the home:

Head Francis I Fenton M 37 Washington
Wife Mary E Fenton F 27 California
Son Michael J. Fenton M 4 California
Son Francis A Fenton M 7 California

Like his father and older brother, Mike too, served the Marines but as an enlisted man, not an officer. His decision ultimately led to his death during the Battle of Okinawa. The story of what happened after Mike's death has been told over and over and can be found on various websites. One website, www.jcs-group.com (which is no longer working), gave a very good synopsis of what happened shortly after Mike's death. The story as they reported it, is written as follows:

"One of the most heart wrenching moments to occur on Okinawa involved a family with a proud Marine heritage. Colonel (later Brigadier General) Francis I. Fenton enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1917. He gradually rose through the ranks until he became division engineer officer of the 1st Marine Division in July 1944. With this unit, Fenton was the recipient of a Bronze Star for duty at Peleliu before landing on Okinawa.

While Colonel Fenton advanced to higher command, his younger son, Michael, enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 17, 1943, and joined B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division - the same division in which his father commanded the engineers. Reportedly turning down a commission so he could fight at the front, Michael served as a scout sniper (on) Okinawa.

Father and son met once during the fighting when their paths crossed at a partially destroyed Okinawan farmhouse. After exchanging news from home, including information on Michael's older brother, Francis, Jr., who had been commissioned a Marine officer in 1941, the two family members returned to their work.

They would never talk again. On May 7, 1945, while beating back a Japanese counterattack not far from Sugar Loaf Hill, 19-year-old Pfc. Michael Fenton was killed. When his father received the bitter news, he traveled to the site of his son's death and knelt down to pray over the flag-draped body, a scene that produced one of the Pacific war's most touching photographs. Upon arising, Colonel Fenton stared at the bodies of other Marine dead and said, 'Those poor souls. They didn't have their fathers here.'After the burial, Colonel Fenton returned to his headquarters and wrote a brief note to his wife, Mary, in San Diego. The soldier then resurfaced. Fenton fixed his attention on a large map hanging in his headquarters, studied it closely for a time, then said to his subordinate, "We'd better double the guard around No. 5 bridge. The Nips may try to blow it." The war was back on.

Mary Fenton learned of her son's death before receiving her husband's letter. In fact, she experienced a bittersweet two days later when, on Wednesday, a telegram arrived from the Marine Corps Commandant informing her of Michael's death. The very next day came news that her husband had been awarded a second Bronze Star.

Mrs. Fenton told reporters she was proud that Michael had done his duty as a Marine. She quoted a recent letter from him in which the youth wrote that he 'dedicated my life to my country' and that he was 'prepared to die.'

Both Colonel Fenton and his older son survived the war."

Mike's body was later exhumed from his temporary grave and is now resting in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. His burial stone may be seen on Find-A-Grave memorial #56108819.

Private First Class Michael J. Fenton, earned the following medals/decorations for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II (not in order of precedence):

• Combat Action Ribbon
• Purple Heart Medal
• Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
• World War II Victory Medal
  
  (Biography written by Rick Lawrence, MSgt., USMC/USAFR  (RET)