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1Lt. John Camien

Another of K Company’s future officers that had already mustered in when Pearl Harbor happened was John Camien (pronounced Ka-meen). Born and raised in Wichita Kansas, he apparently had had enough of the flat open plains and enlisted in the Marines on July 29, 1938. Following boot camp he was assigned to sea duty, where he served as one of the ship’s Marines aboard the USS Chicago (CA-29) and USS Houston (CA-30). He served there for nearly three years, sailing and seeing much of the world, including the Caribbean, Hawaii and across the Pacific to Australia.

Aboard the Houston he was made the gun captain of one of the ship’s five-inch anti-aircraft guns, but had to learn the gun as he went, neither he or his gun crew having any experience on it. This slowed him down little apparently, as he was soon noted for his proficiency on the gun by his superiors.

Returning for shore duty in May 1941, he was assigned to the 2nd Marines in Marine Corps Base San Diego, where he was promoted to sergeant and assumed duties as one of its Platoon Guides. He was there for the rest of that year, although events early that December resulted in yet another transfer, this time to a Marine Defense Battalion who urgently needed men with experience on anti-aircraft guns.

Fortunately his unit was never called to defend some faraway island like those at Wake, and so Camien applied for a commission, completing Officer’s Candidate’ Class at Quantico and pinning on his 2nd Lieutenant’s bars on March 10, 1943. Camien then found himself assigned to one of the units forming up at New River, North Carolina to create the 4th Marine Division: K Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines. No doubt due to his knowledge of gun crews, he was assigned as its mortar platoon leader.