Arthur Ervin Obituary

ARTHUR B. ERVIN Sergeant Arthur B. Ervin, United States Marine Corps, unidentified for nearly 80 years, will be laid to rest in Honolulu. Born April 16, 1922, in McCurtain, Oklahoma, Arthur attended schools in Detroit, Texas, and Los Angeles, California before enlisting at the age of eighteen. He defended the Naval Air Station during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, served in the South Pacific with the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion, and fought in the battles of Roi-Namur and Saipan as a member of Company A, 24th Marines, Fighting Fourth Marine Division. During the latter battle, on July 5, 1944, Arthur volunteered to accompany a patrol bringing wounded civilians to safety. He gave his life in a selfless attempt to rescue his platoon leader and friend, 1Lt. Philip E. Wood, Jr. For his wartime service, Sergeant Arthur Ervin was awarded the Navy Cross, Bronze Star with V device, Purple Heart with Gold Star, and numerous campaign and unit awards. Arthur was buried in the Fourth Marine Division Cemetery on Saipan as an unknown and declared non-recoverable after the war. His remains were later interred at the Manila American Cemetery until being positively identified in June 2022. At the time of his death, Arthur was survived by his mother Willie Meek, brothers Harry and Harley Ervin, half-siblings Jesse and Barbara Meek, and widow Odena (Good) Ervin, all now deceased. Burial services with full military honors will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, at 11:30 AM on Monday, October 16, 2023. The family warmly welcomes the public to attend and help welcome home a true hero of World War II. Arrangements Provided By: Borthwick Mortuary