Aquilla J. Dyess

Aquilla James Dyess
Aquilla J. Dyess, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient
Born(1909-01-11)January 11, 1909
Andersonville, Georgia
DiedFebruary 2, 1944(1944-02-02) (aged 35)
Kwajalein Atoll, Gilbert Islands
Place of burial
Westover Memorial Park Cemetery, Augusta, Georgia
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1931–1936 (U.S. Army Reserve)
1936–1944 (USMCR)
RankLieutenant colonel
Commands1st Battalion 24th Marines
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsCarnegie Medal
Medal of Honor
Purple Heart
Other workgeneral contractor

Lieutenant Colonel Aquilla James Dyess (January 11, 1909 – February 2, 1944) was a United States Marine Corps officer who was a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life" at the head of his troops during World War II, in the Battle of Kwajalein, on Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands on February 2, 1944.