Huntington War Hero Earns Diploma 65 Years Late
Peter MacDonald Campbell answered his country’s call to battle in May 1942, just weeks before he was to receive his Huntington High School diploma. He never came home. But, his town and his old school haven’t forgotten the heroic Marine.
In a moving and sometimes emotional ceremony that somewhat recreated one originally held May 5, 1944, town and school officials rededicated a memorial monument and replanted an elm tree in Mr. Campbell’s memory. Huntington School Board President Richard McGrath also presented a posthumous diploma to Mr. Campbell’s nephew, more than 65 years after the war hero would have received it himself had he completed his senior year.
The memorial monument now sits adjacent to the World War II Wall of Remembrance in Veteran’s Plaza on the front lawn of Town Hall. The site served for generations as Huntington High School, before the school district sold the property. Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone called the memorial’s new location “our place for heroes.”
The monument is about 25 feet from where it was originally placed after being purchased by high school students. It was during a 1944 Arbor Day memorial tribute, which saw the entire student body assemble outside the school, that an elm tree was planted in Mr. Campbell’s honor. On that day his mother sat at a desk, mere steps away from the planting site. It was said she never recovered emotionally from his death.
Robert Corwin, who attended the original ceremony as a high school student, was present at the Pearl Harbor Day tribute at town hall last week. “I left Huntington High School to serve in World War II, but came back to get my diploma after being injured at Guadalcanal,” Mr. Corwin said. “I remember Don well. We lived a few streets away from each other.”
Mr. Corwin, who wore a bow tie to the Dec. 7 ceremony, finally earned his diploma in June 1944 and he has enjoyed a long and active life and continues to reside in the town. “Don was a great guy,” he said. Mr. Corwin led the flag salute preceding the national anthem at the original Campbell memorial event 63 years ago, which was attended by the Marine’s fiancée, Ann Kunst of Smithtown, whom he had planned to marry while on a furlough in the spring.
Born in Scotland
Mr. Campbell, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland on March 12, 1923 while his mother was visiting her family there, had a brother, Alex, who served simultaneously in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Alex survived and named his own son Don, who went on to graduate from nearby Walt Whitman High School and who was in attendance at the Pearl Harbor Day event with his wife, Lisa.
“It was a beautiful ceremony today,” Don Campbell said following the unveiling of the relocated monument that immortalizes the uncle he never knew. “A few times I got pretty choked up. It was very nice of everyone to do this. The diploma was a special surprise.”
After enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Campbell trained at Parris Island, South Carolina before being shipped to the West Coast for overseas deployment. It wasn’t long before he was engaged in fierce combat against the Japanese army.
Fate Intervened
As fate would have it, at dawn on Nov. 1, 1943, Mr. Campbell found himself and his Third Division comrades at Empress Augusta Bay as part of the Pacific Theater’s Bouganville campaign. The initiative was supposed to create a beachhead allowing for the delivery of supplies and equipment needed to construct a landing strip for fighter planes. Could the Huntingtonian have imagined it would be the last day of his life? He was only 20 years old.
“While searching for enemy positions as a first scout, Mr. Campbell encountered enemy fire and was mortally wounded,” Huntington Town Councilman Stuart P. Besen said in remarks to a crowd of about 150. “After being hit, Mr. Campbell’s close friend, Manuel Guerrero, dropped his weapon and risked his life to assist Mr. Campbell. After pulling his friend to safety, Mr. Guerrero was forced to back out due to heavy sniper fire.” Mr. Campbell, who was one of 423 Marine casualties sustained during the battle, never returned home, dying on the battlefield.
Original Elm Downed by Disease
The original elm tree planted as part of the Campbell memorial was felled by disease and a towering pine tree now resides in its place. The school district discontinued use of the building following the 1976 school year and the town later purchased the site for its use as town hall.
With the establishment and growth of Veterans Plaza, the original location of the memorial was no longer deemed appropriate, hence the decision to move it to a more prominent spot. It now rests in front of a stunning rock wall and is surrounded by a perennial garden. Officials also believed it was appropriate to reestablish the elm tree portion of the memorial. Bartlett Tree Experts donated and planted a replacement tree. It is now situated in the center of the great lawn in front of town hall.
After his enlistment, Mr. Campbell, an extremely popular and athletic student who earned a varsity letter playing on a championship Blue Devil football team for legendary coach William Class, penned a letter to then high school principal Robert L. Simpson, who read a portion of it during the memorial ceremony more than six decades ago. Councilman Besen read some of the same excerpts last week.
Why He Fought
In the letter Mr. Campbell expresses the reasons why he is a Marine, his willingness to go into battle and the purpose behind the fight: “It will be so the people all over the world can keep going to schools like H.H.S. and so that the boys can keep playing football, and so that the girls can have their football heroes. It will be to preserve our grand old American customs and traditions. So that there will be lots and lots of kids going to those football games with a mind free from fear or oppression. They will be able to cheer with all their hearts, not because they have to but because something inside of them makes them want to. Believe me, if I and all the other young Americans have anything to say about it, all these things will remain unchanged in our great country. We’re going to win this fray just like some of our school songs say. It will be a big fray but not too big for good Americans to handle. Good luck to all at home.”
At the Pearl Harbor Day ceremony, the Huntington High School senior symphonic band played the national anthem and the chamber choir said “God Bless America.” In addition to Mr. McGrath, various school officials were present, including Superintendent John J. Finello, who participated in the presentation of the posthumous diploma. “It was a very touching and well deserved tribute,” Mr. Finello said.
Mr. Campbell’s death shook Huntington High School and the local community. His father, Peter, worked in an Oyster Bay shipyard devoted to war-related construction. Unfortunately, the war caused heartache and worry for thousands of families in the community.
According to a bronze plaque mounted on a huge memorial boulder at Gold Star Battalion Beach in Huntington, 127 Huntington men were killed in World War II. Another 3,737 men and women also served in the conflict.
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