Henry “Hank” Skewis was serving in the First Marines during the Battle of Okinawa. The Battle of Okinawa was a series of battles fought in the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. The big island of Okinawa was important to the Allies as they planned to use it as a base for air operations leading up to the invasion of the Japanese mainland.

The Battle of Okinawa lasted 82 days and was the largest sea and land battle in history and the last battle in the Pacific War. More than 100,000 Okinawans, 72,000 Americans and 100,000 Japanese perished.

On May 18, 1945 the First Marines which Skewis was a part of, took Wana Ridge. Wana Ridge housed a Japanese 75 mm machine gun and was full of caves and tunnels. Marines had to take each tunnel and cave individually. When the machine gun was disabled, this allowed the Marines to finally take Sugar Loaf Hill nearby, which the Japanese had held due to cover from the machine gun.

The following article was taken from a 1946 Mining Journal edition.

Henry “Hank” Skewis is shown clad in his U.S. Marine Corps uniform. Skewis, who served as Marquette County clerk, fought with distinction during the Battle of Okinawa during World War II, in which he lost his right leg. (Photo courtesy of Henry Skewis’ daughter, Rochelle Sundberg)

Ishpeming,  Feb. 15, 1946. Pfc Henry Skewis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Skewis of Ishpeming, has received the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement during the Battle of Okinawa.

The citation reads:

“For heroic achievement while serving with a Marine infantry company in action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands on May 18, 1945. Pfc. Skewis was acting corporal and group leader in a rifle platoon which was attacking a very strongly fortified section of ‘Wana Ridge’ when his unit suddenly came under heavy Japanese machine gun, mortar and small arms fire. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, he went forward of enemy lines into enemy territory and administered first aid to five wounded Marines.

Upon his return, he led the squad in an assault on the objective, thereby contributing materially to the success of the operation. In performance of this act, Pfc. Skewis was severely wounded, losing his right leg above the knee and receiving five fractures of his left leg, and 91 shrapnel wounds. Pfc. Skewis splendid initiation, courageous action and unselfish devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps.”

Overcoming his physical injuries took some time. All those shrapnel wounds received below the waist, as well as his general health prevented him from wearing a prosthesis. For 19 months he was in hospitals in the Pacific and finally at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital along with 2,700 other amputees. He commented “There I realized you’re never as bad off as you think you are, others were far worse off than I was.” For obvious reasons, veterans’ issues continued to be very important to him.

“There are two kinds of disabled veterans,” he said: “Those who know they are disabled and will make their own way and those who haven’t yet reached the point where they feel they can do it by themselves, who need more help.”

Hank Skewis fell into the former category. Two weeks after his discharge he was back working for Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, first as a hoisting engineer, electrician and later shop leader. He worked for the company for thirty years before retiring. He went on to run for the Ishpeming city council in 1964 and won election and reelection in 1967. He also served as mayor in 1968 and 1969.

In 1970 he ran for the county clerk position. Skewis held that position for nearly 15 years, retiring in 1985. The County Courthouse Annex was named in his honor in September of that year. Even after retirement he served on the Marquette County Board of Health, the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Board and the Marquette County Jury Board.

He clearly knew how to make his own way.