Original U.S. WWI USMC Croix de Guerre Certificate Named to Marine KIA at Soissons in Original Shipping Tube - Fred Byron Gruver - 2x Silver Star Recipient

Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a gorgeous Croix de Guerre Certificate named to Private Fred B. Gruver, a Marine who was Missing in Action from July 18th, 1918 in Vierzy, France, and was never found. A Chauchat Gunner, Gruver was cited in the Marine Corps Muster Rolls for “showing great coolness and bravery in the trenches in the Bois de Bellleau, June 13th and 14th, 1918. During enemy machine gun attacks, repairing broken Chauchat rifles and keeping them in condition.” Fred B. Gruver enlisted in the Marine Corps with his brother Harry on April 16th, 1917. He went overseas with the 18th Company, 5th Regiment and saw combat in the legendary Battle of Belleau Wood as well as Soissons, where he went missing. On July 18th, the first day of the Aisne-Marne Offensive, Gruver was missing in action. This likely devastated his brother who spent a lot of time searching for him. Despite muster rolls listing him for the months of August and September, he was finally pronounced as Killed in A