Marines and sailors on Okinawa renamed a building to honor a Medal of Honor recipient who fought and died on the island during one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

Troops from Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group officially changed the name of their regimental headquarters at Camp Kinser to Hague Hall on Monday in recognition of Cpl. Louis Hauge, who was killed in the Battle of Okinawa on May 14, 1945.

“We are very honored to know that he is not forgotten, and that the Marines remember him,” Hauge’s nephew, Joe Braunschweig, said in a Marine Corps statement.

Hauge displayed uncommon valor when a squad from the 1st Marine Division got pinned down by enemy mortar and machine gun fire, according to his award citation. He sprinted toward two machine gun emplacements, tossing hand grenades as he ran. He was wounded, but destroyed both machine gun nests before a Japanese sniper shot and killed him.

“We dedicated this building to Cpl. Hauge because … we found out that his unit was dug in at this very camp,” Col. Forrest Poole, commander of the logistics regiment, said in the statement. “He and his unit defended this position while Marines traveled here to assist the southern assault.”

A native of Ada, Minn., Hauge joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1943 as a light machine gunner. He saw combat on Peleliu and was awarded a meritorious promotion to corporal. He was a squad leader by the time the Marines stormed Okinawa.

cook.leon@stripes.comTwitter: @LeonCook12

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