On August 30, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) awards Staff Sergeant Jesse Drowley (1919-1996) the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony. The medal recognizes the Spokane resident's valor in a battle in the South Pacific during World War II. On January 30, 1944, on Bougainville Island, his squad was directed to stay under cover in their established perimeter. They were to be a reserve element while another unit assaulted Japanese positions. Staff Sergeant Drowley observed three wounded American soldiers of the assault force lying in an open area in front of his squad's position. He rushed out to the men and pulled two of them to safety. During this rescue, he observed a Japanese pillbox (a concrete enclosure containing a machine gun) that had been hidden from the assault forces. He had another soldier rescue the third wounded man while he climbed on a tank and guided it to the pillbox. Under his direction the tank destroyed this pillbox and then he saw another. Sergeant Drowley directed the tank to destroy the second pillbox. During this action he was wounded in the chest and his left eye was destroyed. He was evacuated to stateside hospitals for recovery.
From Spokane to Guadalcanal
Jesse Drowley was born in St. Charles, Michigan. At a young age he started helping his lumberman father. By the age of 12 he was driving log trucks. In 1941 he was a lumberman in Spokane.
He enlisted in the army on April 1, 1941, and would serve two years of combat in the South Pacific. He had basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina, and advanced training at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. He was shipped to New Caledonia and assigned to an Illinois National Guard regiment, the 132nd Infantry Regiment. The regiment became part of the newly formed Americal Division (a contraction of America and New Caledonia) that was activated in May 1942.
The Americal Division trained in jungle warfare in New Caledonia. It was the first American army force ordered to Guadalcanal.
On December 8, 1942, the 132nd Regiment arrived in Guadalcanal. The 132nd and the other regiments of the Americal Division relieved the marines, who had been battered by tough Japanese resistance. The Americal soldiers went into battle at Mount Austen, a complex of hills with extensive Japanese fortifications. Japan's defenses were well hidden in the dense jungle, and the jungle made American troop movement exhausting.
During the battle at Mount Austen, Drowley was wounded. He received the Bronze Star for valor in that battle.
On February 9, 1943, the Americal Division left Guadalcanal for more training in the Fiji Islands. The division returned to Guadalcanal to take part in the final securing of the island. In late 1943 and early 1944, the division landed at Bougainville Island, North Solomons, relieving the 3rd Marine Division. Along with the 37th Infantry Division and a marine force, the Americal Division was ordered to hold an already established perimeter.
Heroic Actions on Bougainville Island
On the morning of January 30, 1944, Staff Sergeant Drowley, serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 132nd Infantry Regiment, Americal Division, had orders to keep his squad under cover and not to engage the enemy until further orders. His squad was in reserve for an assault force.
Looking over the battlefield, Drowley spotted three seriously wounded men from the assault force, who had been abandoned. They were lying in an open area in front of his squad. Despite orders to stay under cover, he rushed out to the men. He quickly dragged two of them to safety.
As he rescued the two soldiers, he spotted a Japanese pillbox that was inflicting heavy casualties on the attack forces. Drowley ignored his orders to remain under cover and to not engage the enemy. He had another soldier recover the third wounded man while he jumped on a tank and guided the crew to the camouflaged pillbox. Drowley fired tracer rounds at the pillbox to spot it for the tank gun. Sitting on the outside of the tank he was exposed to enemy fire, and an enemy bullet hit him in the chest. Despite the serious wound, he continued to direct the tank until the pillbox was destroyed. When the pillbox blew up, another pillbox was exposed. Drowley then lay down on the tank to reduce his profile, and guided the tank to the second pillbox.
This time a sniper’s bullet found him, hit his rifle, and drove it into his left eye. Despite this serious wound he directed the tank crew until they had taken out the second enemy position.
He had wounds to the chest and head. His head wounds included the loss of his left eye and much of its eye socket. He walked to the rear area and a doctor there evacuated him to a hospital. Two days later Staff Sergeant Drowley was evacuated to Letterman General Hospital, San Francisco for skin grafts and reconstruction of the eye socket. He received an artificial eye.
Recovery and Honor
He was transferred to Baxter General Hospital Spokane and there underwent seven operations to reconstruct his face. During his recovery at Baxter he met Kathleen McAvoy (1923-2007), whom he married in May 1944.
That summer Drowley received orders to the White House to receive his Medal of Honor. He and Kathleen traveled to Washington, and on August 30, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded him the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. At the ceremony the president awarded six Medal of Honors. He mentioned that Drowley’s heroic actions took place on his birthday. Staff Sergeant Drowley was the only soldier of the Americal Division to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II.
Life in Spokane
Jesse Drowley was released from the army on December 7, 1944. He went into the gas-station business, opening the M&D Garage. He left that and found his calling as a heavy-equipment mechanic and welder at Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane.
On Memorial Day, 1956, a plaque was installed at Washelli Cemetery, Seattle, to honor the 30 Washington state Medal of Honor recipients, including Jesse Drowley.
Drowley advanced to equipment-maintenance foreman and retired from Fairchild in 1980. He was an honored guest at several presidential inaugurals. He never bragged of his heroism. Friends in Spokane described him as quiet with dignity. Fishing and talking with friends were his favorite pursuits.
Jesse Drowley died in Spokane, and was buried in Fairmont Memorial Park, Spokane.
On Veterans Day, November 11, 2014, a monument was dedicated in the cemetery recalling his valor and service to the nation. Friends, family, and veterans attended. Some of his grandchildren unveiled the monument.
