The Fighting Field Music: Sgt. Darrell S. Cole

Welcome to the Medal of Honor podcast, brought to you in partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum. I’m Ken Harbaugh. In each episode, we’ll learn about a different service member who has distinguished him or herself through an act of valor.

Darren Samuel Cole was born on July 20th, 1920 in Flat River Missouri. During his childhood he enjoyed basketball, hunting and photography. He also learned to play the French Horn.

After graduating high school in 1938, Cole spent one year working as an assistant forestry clerk at the Civilian Conservation Corp. Then, he moved to Detroit and worked as a machine operator for an engine gasket manufacturer.

On August 25th, 1941, at the age of 21, Cole enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve. Due to his French Horn skills, he was sent to Field Music School and became a bugler. Cole was then transferred to the 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, and by August 1942, he was on the shores of Guadalcanal.

Cole wasn’t happy about his field music assignment. He often complained about it, saying that he had joined a fighting outfit to fight, not blow a horn. On two separate occasions, Cole ditched his Bugle during battle in favor of an unmanned machine gun, and requested multiple times that he be allowed to perform the regular duties of a Private First Class in the weapons company he was already assigned to. These were initially denied, citing a “shortage of field music.”

Despite this, he managed to be assigned to a machine gun and became squad leader. He even assumed command during the Battle of Saipan when his squad leader was killed. His efforts on the battlefield earned him the title of “The Fighting Field Music” throughout the campaign, and thanks to this combat experience, his warrant change request was finally approved.

On February 19th, 1945, then Sergeant Cole served in the Battle of Iwo Jima. The small island was the launching point for Japanese fighters that had been intercepting American bombers and attacking American airfields. In order to threaten the Japanese mainland, Iwo Jima had to be captured.

Sergeant Cole led his machine gun section ashore and up the beach through heavy small arms, mortar, and artillery fire. Not long after they landed, one of his squads was pinned down by two Japanese machine guns. Crawling forward on his own, Cole threw hand grenades and destroyed both emplacements, allowing his unit to advance. They continued forward until again they were halted by machine gun fire, this time coming from three separate pillboxes. Cole immediately set up the only remaining machine gun and took aim. He let loose a devastating spray of bullets on the nearest pill box, silencing it right before his gun jammed, forcing him to take cover. Then, Cole’s unit watched as he again advanced on his own towards the remaining two pillboxes, armed only with a pistol and a grenade. Under heavy fire, Cole twice navigated between his unit and an advanced position, returning only to stock up on grenades, and completely destroyed the Japanese strongpoint on his own. As he returned to his unit after completing his objective, Cole was hit and killed by an enemy grenade.

On April 17th, 1947, Darrell S. Cole was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his courage, determination, and sacrifice during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Thanks to Cole, his unit was able to storm the remaining fortifications and seize their objective during a critical period of the battle.

The Medal of Honor podcast is a production of Evergreen Podcasts.

Nathan Corson is our executive producer and mixing engineer, Declan Rohrs is our associate producer, scriptwriter, and recording engineer, and I’m Ken Harbaugh.

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