Lights of Peace Flag for February 2026 to Honor The Memory of PFC Maurice E. Prince KIA During WWII
During the month of February, the 77th Lights for Peace flag to fly at the Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum honors the memory of PFC Maurice E. Prince, who served in the United States Marine Corps and was killed in action while serving in the Battle of Saipan during World War II.
Prince was born on September 19, 1923. He was the adopted son of Jean and Euphemie Breault and resided at 163 Collette St., New Bedford. He joined the United States Marine Corps and was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, which played a key role in the Battle of Saipan during WWII.
World War II was a global conflict that lasted from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945. The Battle of Saipan took place in June and July of 1944, with the intention of seizing the Japanese island of Saipan and gaining full control. Prince was part of the primary assault unit that landed on the southwest coast of the island, known as Blue Beaches on June 15, 1944, which was D-Day.
According to Brittanica.com, “they engaged in brutal, close-quarters combat, often dealing with enemy forces in trenches. The battalion faced intense mortar and artillery fire, especially on the beachhead.”
Company F was commanded by Captain John “Jack” Padley. The 4th Marine Division advanced towards the island’s northern defenses, facing a heavily fortified enemy line, anchored on high ground.
Sadly, on June 25, 1944, PFC Prince was killed in action at only 20 years old. His unit went on to seize the island of Saipan, which is part of the Mariana Islands, and was essential in securing a strategic airfield for bombing Japan.
PFC Maurice Edmond Prince was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery after 1947, along with many Marines KIA in the Pacific Theater of Operation. His grave is located within Section H, Site 9852.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan, Brig. Gen. John K. Jarrard, commanding general of the 4th Marine Division, was the keynote speaker at the American Memorial Park in Garapan, Saipan on June 15, 2024. Brig. Gen. Jarrard explained how the Marines “fought yard by yard a determined, well-prepared enemy. When the dust finally settled and the smoke cleared, the price paid in the blood and broken bodies of American
men was staggering. The total division’s strength of 16,391 was cut in half,” he said. “Half of the division, one out of two Marines and sailors, were killed or wounded on these two small islands. 7,887 sons, brothers, nephews, neighbors, husbands, and fathers left their homes, never to return. Their family’s lives left behind in America altered by the horrible price of war.”
He was survived by his adopted parents Jean and Euphemia Breault. This was the second marriage for both Jean and Euphemia. Jean was previously married to Henrietta (Poirier) Breault who died in 1920. Euphemia, besides being the adopted mother to Maurice, was also the birth mother to Omer and Oscar (WWII veterans) and Dora and Lucy, all of whom are buried in the Sacred Heart Cemetery in New Bedford, according to Robert Bromley, a member of the Board of Directors for the Fort Taber – Fort Rodman Military Museum.
