Pfc Bernard F. (Mac) McCarty was the first Marine to land on Japan during the Occupation of Tokyo Bay on 30 August 1945.

He was the quintessential citizen warrior of “Fightin’ Forties” America. He is representative of the hundreds of thousands of Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen who selflessly cast aside the safety and comfort of civilian life to risk everything in the all-out struggle for the survival of their country. Mac quickly made the tough transition from civilian life to become a highly decorated Marine.