George Hampton Yarborough, Jr. (October 14, 1895 – June 26, 1918) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 and a recipient of the Navy Cross

Navy Cross

The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

.

Biography

Born at Roxboro, North Carolina

Roxboro, North Carolina

Roxboro is a city and the county seat of Person County, North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the city of Roxboro has a population of 8,362. The city is 30 miles north of Durham, NC. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area.-History:...

, Yarborough enrolled in class no. 4, Marine Corps Reserve, on April 7, 1917, the day after the United States entered World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, and was given the provisional rank of second lieutenant. After instruction at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina

Parris Island, South Carolina

Parris Island is a former census-designated place , currently a portion of Port Royal in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 4,841 at the 2000 census. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Parris Island is included within the Beaufort Urban Cluster and the larger...

, he reported to the Marine Barracks at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 on June 4, 1917 for duty with the 16th Company, 5th Regiment of Marines. Taken to New York in Seattle (Armored Cruiser No. 11), Yarborough embarked in Henderson (Transport No. 1)

USS Henderson (AP-1)

The first USS Henderson was a transport in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. In 1943, she was converted to a hospital ship and commissioned as USS Bountiful ....

 on June 14, 1917 sailed for France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 that day; and reached St. Nazaire on the 27th of June.

Yarborough, promoted to first lieutenant on August 11, 1917, served two tours of detached duty while assigned to the 5th Regiment, first at Cosne

Cosne

Cosne may refer to three communes in France:*Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire*Cosne-d'Allier*Alligny-Cosne...

, France, between December 8, 1917 and January 4, 1918 and then at Gondrecourt, France, between February 22, and April 29, 1918.

On June 23, 1918, the height of the Battle of Belleau Wood

Battle of Belleau Wood

The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred during the German 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S...

, Lt. Yarborough arrived on the front lines. The next day, intense enemy fire from skillfully placed machine guns pinned down Yarborough's unit—a platoon in a support position in the American lines. The young lieutenant dashed from one shell hole to another, in the open, steadying his men, until a burst of machine gun fire hit him. Severely wounded, he refused aid until other wounded men in his unit received medical attention. Finally moved to shelter, he succumbed to his severe gunshot wounds on June 26, 1918. Cited for his bravery, First Lieutenant Yarborough received the Distinguished Service Cross

Distinguished Service Cross (United States)

The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...

 and Navy Cross, posthumously.

Namesake

The United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 named Yarborough (DD-314)

USS Yarborough (DD-314)

USS Yarborough was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named for George Hampton Yarborough, Jr.-History:...

for him.