Wallace Lea Chesbro Memorial Stone

Wallace L. Chesbro was born on June 6th, 1913 in Osterville, Massachusetts. He graduated Barnstable High school in the late 1920’s and married Bertha Mildred Chesbro. He studied medicine at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he also found time to be part of the chorus and play football. Wallace Chesbro graduated from Tufts Medical School he did his surgery residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, while there he accepted a commission in the United States Navy in April of 1942.

Wallace L. Chesbro, M.D. rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander part of the medical staff of the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal part of the Solomon Islands.

In 1945 he served on the U.S.S Comfort a hospital ship which evacuated wounded soldiers and marines from the Philippines, Subic Bay and Guam. The wounded was brought back to California for hospitalization and further medical treatments.

Returning to Okinawa on April 6th, 1945 and during the Battle of Okinawa (was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest) on April 28, 1945 the hospital ship was struck by Japanese Kamikaze Plane which killed 29 people including Lieutenant Commander Wallace L. Chesbro M.D. leaving 48 others wounded and caused considerable damages.

The remains of Wallace L. Chesbro are buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. His memorial stands on the intersection of Main Street and Wianno Avenue in Osterville, Massachusetts. He was awarded two Purple Hearts.

Accessed February 26th 2020. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/index.html.

Accessed February 26th 2020. https://www.naval-history.net/WW2UScasaaDB-USNbyNameC.htm.

Helling M.D., Thomas. Desperate Surgery In The Pacific War: Doctors and Damage Control For American Wounded, 1941-1945. McFarland & Company, 2017.

Harper, Dale P.. Too Close For Comfort. Trafford Publishing, 2007.

Accessed February 26th 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa.

Accessed February 26th 2020. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/index.html.