Stephen Joe Mayer was born in St. Louis, Missouri, April 30, 1922. He was survived by his father, Stephen Benjamin Meyer (a.k.a. Stephen B. Mayer) and his stepmother, Anna M. Salinger Meyer. His biological mother, Anna Schannes Meyer, passed away when Stephen Joe was almost6 years of age. No officialtranscript, school name, or degree is recorded in public service files. He reportedly joined and served in the Civilian Conservation Corps for 2.5 years before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps January 23, 1942, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. His father, Stephen Benjamin Meyer (legally changed from Mayer to Meyer) gave written consent for Stephen Joe to join the Marine Corps. After completing boot camp in 1942, he received advanced traininginthe use of a machine gun used during WWII. He quickly advanced to the rank of corporal before departing for the South Pacific theater. Corporal Stephen Joe Mayer served with Company B, First Battalion, 8th Marines in the Guadalcanal campaign and duringthe battle for Tarawa. It was during the invasion of Tarawa that Corporal Mayer lost his life on or about November 20, 1943. Corporal Mayer gave his all for his country. The First Battalion was decimated by heavy machine gun fire from both flanks on the long (500 yards) walk to shore. An action report penned by the 81h marines noted that “many of the casualties resulted from drowning due to the heavy packs and equipment men attempted to take across the submerged fringing reef.” Amongst those items retrieved and accompanied his remains was a military issued whistle with the inscription “S.J. Mayer” on its side. This indicates that Corporal Mayer most likely was a machine gun squad leader. Corporal Mayer was the recipient of eight accommodations and awards, including the Purple Heart.
Following official notification of his death, Stephen’s father corresponded with several government agencies, including the Veterans Administration begging for the return of Stephens remains to his native soil. Stephen was his father’s one and only offspring. Unfortunately, Stephen’s burial information belonged to another Tarawa casualty that died November 23, 1943. All military personnel buried on Tarawa Atol were eventually exhumed and moved to a military repository in Hawaii. It was there that Stephen’s remains were identified through the relentless dedicated efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency using advanced DNA technology.
Fulfilling his father’s prayerful wish more than 80 years earlier, Corporal Stephen Joe Mayer is back home.
Services: Visitation at Kutis South County Chapel, 5255 Lemay Ferry Road, on Friday, May 29, 11:30am until time of service at 12:30pm. Interment with honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.