BULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PRO Vol 22 No 2.… · Marine Corps Historical Center...

FORTITtJfliBULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROHISTORICAL BULLETIN VOLUME XXII FALL 1992

SOLOMON ISLANDERS FETE MARINES RETURNING AFTER 50 YEARS 10 GUADALCANAL BArFLE SCENES.MARINE COMMANDS AND BASES CELEBRATE HALF-CENTURY MARKS WITH PARADES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

91-YEAR-OLD FORMER MARINE MARKSMAN DEDICATES NEW RANGE. FLIGHT LINES: C-i3o HERCULES

FORTITtJDBULLETIN OF THE MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL PROHISTORICAL BULLETIN VOLUME XXII FALL 1992

SOLOMON ISLANDERS FETE MARINES RETURNING AFTER 50 YEARS 10 GUADALCANAL BArFLE SCENES.MARINE COMMANDS AND BASES CELEBRATE HALF-CENTURY MARKS WITH PARADES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

91-YEAR-OLD FORMER MARINE MARKSMAN DEDICATES NEW RANGE. FLIGHT LINES: C-i3o HERCULES

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution isunlimited.

PCN 10401220100

Marine Corps Historical CenterBuilding 58, Washington Navy Yard

901 M Street, SoutheastWashington, D.C. 20374-5040

Telephone: (202) 433-3838, 433-3840, 433-3841

DIRECTOR

BGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

Secretary to the Director Mrs. Patricia E. Morgan.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Cot Marshall B. Darling, USMC

HISTORICAL BRANCH

Head: LtCol Thomas A. Richards, USMC. Histories Section:

Mr. Benis M. Frank, ChiefHistorian; Dr. Jack Shulimson;Mr. Charles R. Smith; LtCol Kenneth W. Estes, USMC: CaptDavid A. Dawson, USMC. Oral History Unit: Mr. RichardA. thng. Reference Section: Mr. Danny J. Crawford; Mr.Robert V. Aquilina; Mrs. Ann A. Ferrante; Miss Lena M. Kal-jot; Mrs. Regina Strother; Mrs. Shelia Gramblin. Archives;Mr. FrederickJ. Graboske; Cpl Joshua R. Ford, USMC: Mr.

J. Michael Miller, Persona/Papers; Ms. Joyce C. Conyers, Offi-

cial Papers.

MUSEUMS BRANCH

Head/Officer-in- Charge, Air- Ground Museum, Quantico:LtCol Carmen Dragotta, USMC. Operations Officer CaptChristopher L. French, USMC. Museums Section; Mr.Charles A. Wood, Chief Curator Mr. Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas, Material History; Mr. John G. Griffiths, Ord-nance; Mr. Joseph E. Payton, Restoration; Mr. Michael E.Starn, Aeronautics: Mr. Ronald J. Perkins, Mr. Ronnie D.Alexander, Exhibits: Mrs. Nancy F. King, Uniforms; Mrs.

Jennifer L. Castro, Registrar. Mrs. Kathryn R. Trout, Pro.grams Assistant. Security GySgt Robert L. Holloway, USMC;SSgt Allen W. Arbogast, USMC: Sgt Daryl L. Clark. USMC;Cpl George I Childers, USMC: Cpl Stephen McElvine,USMC; Cpl John C. Nelson, USMC: Cp! GuillermoJ. Ser-ra, USMC; Cpl Vincent L. Wright, USMC; LCpI Kevin S.Anderson, USMC: LCpI Melissa S. Murray, USMC: LCpIJeffrey J. Weins, USMC; PFC Steven E. Winsky, USMC.

MARINE CORPS MUSEUM UNIT, WASHINGTON. D.C.

Exhibits: Mr. James A. Fairfax; Sgt Albert Ramos, USMC;Marine Corps Art Collection; Mr. John T. Dyer, Jr.

SUPPORT BRANCH

Head/Division Executive Officer LtCol Dale K. Johnson,USMC. Editing and Design Section: Mr. Robert E. Struder;Mr. William S. Hill; Mrs. Catherine A. Kerns. Library: MissEvelyn A. Englander. Administration: Capt Joe Wells, Jr.,USMC; SSgt John Hudson, USMC: Sgt Exkchart Rat-tanachai, USMC; Cpl Michael L. Ashley, USMC; LCpIAmanda E Bernard, USMC; LCpt Anthony R. Hicks. USMC.Security Unit: SSgt Ricardo E. Harding, USMC; Sgt AndreL. Owens III, USMC.

Mr. Robert E. StruderSenior Editor/Editor, Fortitudine

FORTIT[JD INEMotto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era.

Historical Bulletin Volume XXII Fall 1992 No. 2

This quarterly bulletin of the Marine Corps historical program is published for Marines, atthe rate of one copy for every nine on active duty, to provide education and training in theuses of military and Marine Corps history. Other interested readers may purchase single co-pies or one-year subscriptions (four issues) from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Memorandum from the Director: Guadalcanal 50 Years LaterBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret) 3

Readers Always JVrite: Age Failed to Dim This 'Warrior, Gentleman, and Wit' 12Painter of Official Portraits Follows in Father's Footsteps

John T Dyer; Jr 13

New Division LeadersLtCol Dale K Johnson, USMC 13

Exhibits Created Honoring War's 50th AnniversaryJames A. Fairfax 14

Eyewitness Accounts WantedLtCol Kenneth W Estes, USMC 14

Historical Quiz: World War II Medal of Honor RecipientsLena M. KaIjot 14

Awards Go to Longtime Museum Chief Nihart, 6 OthersCharles R. Smith 15

Command Museums and Historical Displays: Diversity, QualityAmong Magruder Award ContendersCol Brooke Nihart, USMC (Ret) 16

3d MarDiv Marks 50th Birthday with 3-Day CelebrationDanny]. Crawford 17

Answers to Historical Quiz: World War II Medal of Honor Recipients 17New Books: Titles Explore 'Special Ops,' the Corps' Sergeants Major

Evelyn A. Englander 18

Quantico's 'Traveling Exhibits' Aid Anniversary EffortKenneth L. Smith-Christmas 19

High-Tech Quantico Firing Range Named for Col William 'Ironman' LeeRobert V Aquilina 20

Flight Lines: C-130 HerculesMichael E. Starn 21

World War II Chronology, 1941-1945: Part IV—January-June 1943Robert V Aquilina 22

Anthology Introduces New Series on Persian Gulf WarCapt David L. Dawson, USMC 24

THE COVER

The bas relief on the newly dedicated Ma-rine Raiders Memorial on Guadalcanal in theSolomon Islands is taken from the paintingNight Attack, Edson's Ridge," by the late Col

Donald L. Dickson, USMCR. The paintingalso appears on the cover of this issue. Theceremonies surrounding the dedication andother events marking the 50th anniversary ofthe Guadalcanal campaign, are reportedby BGen Simmons beginning on page 3.

Fortitudine is produced in the Editing and Design Section of the History and Museums Division. Thetext for Fortitudine is set in 10-point and 8-point Garamond typeface. Headlines are in 18-point or24-paint Garamond. The bulletin is printed on 70-pound, matte-coated paper by offset lithography.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Priniing Office, shington, D.C. 20402.

Fortitudine, Fall 1992

HISTORYAND MUSEUMSDIVISION

Marine Corps Historical CenterBuilding 58. Washington Navy Yard

901 M Street, SoutheastWashington, D.C. 20374-5040

Telephone: (202) 433-3838, 433-3840, 433-3841

DIRECTOR

BGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

Secretary to the Director Mrs. Patricia E. Morgan.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Col Marshall B. Darling, USMC

HISTORICAL BRANCH

Head: LtCol Thomas A. Richards, USMC. Histories Section:Mr. Benis M. Frank, C,ksef Historian: Dr. Jack Shulimson;Mr. Charles R. Smith: LtCol Kenneth W. Estes, USMC: CaptDavid A. Dawson, USMC. Oral History Unit: Mr. RichardA. lang. Reference Section: Mr. Danny ,J. Crawford; Mr.Robert V. Aquilina: Mrs. Ann A. Ferrante: Miss Lena M. Kal.jot; Mrs. Regina Strother: Mrs. Shelia Gramblin. Archives:Mr. FrederickJ. Graboske: Cpl Joshua R. Ford, USMC: Mr.J. Michael Miller, Persona/Papers: Ms. Joyce C. Conyers, Offi-cial Papers.

MUSEUMS BRANCH

Head/Officer.in-Charge, Air-Ground Museum, Quantico:LtCol Carmen Dragotta, USMC. Operations Officer CaptChristopher L. French. USMC. Museums Section: Mr.Charles A. Wood, Chief Curator Mr. Kenneth L. Smith.Christmas, Material History: Mr. John G. Griffiths, Ord-nance: Mr. Joseph E. Payton, Restoration: Mr. Michael E.Starn, Aeronautics; Mr. Ronald J. Perkins, Mr. Ronnie D.Alexander, Exhibits: Mrs. Nancy F. King, Uniforms: Mrs.Jennifer L. Castro, Registrar, Mrs. Kathryn R. Trout, Pro-grams Assistant. Security: GySgt Robert L. Holloway, USMC:SSgt Allen W. Arbogast, USMC: Sgt Daryl L. Clark. USMC:Cpl George T. Childers, USMC: Cpl Stephen McElvine,USMC: Cpl John C. Nelson, USMC: Cpl GuillermoJ. Ser-ra, USMC: Cpl Vincent L. Wright, USMC: LCpI Kevin S.Anderson, USMC: LCpI Melissa S. Murray, USMC: LCpIJeffrey J. Weins, USMC; PFC Steven E. Winsky, USMC.

MARINE CORPS MUSEUM UNIT, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Exhibits: Mr. James A. Fairfax: Sgt Albert Ramos, USMC:Marine Corps Art Collection: Mr. John T. Dyer, Jr.

SUPPORT BRANCH

Head/Division Executive Officer LtCol Dale K. Johnson,USMC. Editing andDesign Section: Mr. Robert E. Struder:Mr. William S. Hill: Mrs. Catherine A. Kerns. Library: MissEvelyn A. Englander. Administration: Capt Joe Wells, Jr.,USMC: SSgt John Hudson, USMC: Sgi Exkchari Rat-tanachai, USMC: Cpl Michael L. Ashley, USMC: LCpIAmanda E Bernard, USMC; LCpI Anthony R. Hicks, USMC.Security Unit: SSgt Ricardo E. Harding, USMC: Sgt AndreL. Owens III, USMC.

Mr. Robert E. StruderSenior Editor/Edito Fortitudine

FORTIT[JD INEMotto of the United States Marine Corps in the 1812 era.

Historical Bulletin Volume XXII Fall 1992 No. 2

This quarterly bulletin of the Marine Corps historical program is published for Marines, atthe rate of one copy for every nine on active duty, to provide education and training in theuses of military and Marine Corps history. Other interested readers may purchase single co-pies or one-year subscriptions (four issues) from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Memorandum from the Director: Guadalcanal 50 Years LaterBGen Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret) 3

Readers Always Write: Age Failed to Dim This 'Warrior, Gentleman, and Wit' 12Painter of Official Portraits Follows in Father's Footsteps

John T Dyer; Jr 13New Division Leaders

LtCol Dale K. Johnson, USMC 13

Exhibits Created Honoring War's 50th AnniversaryJames A. Fairfax 14

Eyewitness Accounts WantedLtCol Kenneth W Estes, USMC 14

Historical Quiz: World War II Medal of Honor RecipientsLena M. Kaljot 14

Awards Go to Longtime Museum Chief Nihart, 6 OthersCharles R. Smith 15

Command Museums and Historical Displays: Diversity, QualityAmong Magruder Award ContendersCol Brooke Niharr, USMC (Ret) 16

3d MarDiv Marks 50th Birthday with 3-Day CelebrationDanny]. Crawford 17

Answers to Historical Quiz: World War II Medal of Honor Recipients 17New Books: Titles Explore 'Special Ops,' the Corps' Sergeants Major

Evelyn A. Englander 18

Quantico's 'Traveling Exhibits' Aid Anniversary EffortKenneth L. Smith-Christmas 19

High-Tech Quantico Firing Range Named for Col William 'Ironman' LeeRobert V Aquilina 20

Flight Lines: C-130 HerculesMichael E. Starn 21

World War II Chronology, 1941-1945: Part IV—January-June 1943Robert V Aquilina 22

Anthology Introduces New Series on Persian Gulf WarCapt David L. Dawson, USMC 24

THE COVER

The bas relief on the newly dedicated Ma-rine Raiders Memorial on Guadalcanal in theSolomon Islands is taken from the painting'Night Attack, Edson's Ridge," by the late ColDonald L. Dickson, USMCR. The paintingalso appears on the cover of this issue. Theceremonies surrounding the dedication andother events marking the 50th anniversary ofthe Guadalcanal campaign, are reportedby BGen Simmons beginning on page 3.

Fortitudine is produced in the Editing and Design Section of the History and Museums Division. Thetext for Fortitudine is set in 10-point and 8-point Garamond typeface. Headlines are in 18-point or24-pcaint Garamond. The bulletin is printed on 70-pound, matte-coated paper by offset lithography.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Priniing Office, shington, D.C. 20402.


HISTORYAND MUSEUMSDIVISION

Memorandum from the Director

Guadalcanal 50 Years LaterBGen Simmons

F ROM ThE AIR, Savo Island was the firstlandmark we picked up; its coneshape was unmistakable. I could make outFlorida Island but I could not see Tulagior Gavutu-Tanambogo in the afternoonhaze. Then close by I saw the serrated crestof Cape Esperance on the main island ofGuadalcanal itself. Later, LtCol KennethA. Walsh, USMC (Ret), one of four Ma-rine Corps aces present, would tell me thatwhen flying back from the north, hewould look for Cape Esperance. When hecould see it, he would know that he wouldmake it safely home to Henderson Field.

Kenny Walsh had begun the war as anenlisted pilot. He joined the Marine Corpsin 1933 and won his wings in 1937. Hewas a second lieutenant in VMF-124 whenit arrivedon Guadalcanalin February 1943with the new F4- U Vought Corsair Thegull-winged Corsairs were better than any-thing the Japanese could put into the airThe squadron went against 58 Zeroes on1 April. Six Corsairs went down but the

Japanese lost 18 Zeroes, three of them toWalsh. He got three more on 7 April. Hisvictories continued On 15 August,refreshedfrom rest and recreation in Aus-tralia, he had another trijile victory day,his 11th, 12th, and 13th, while leading adivision offive Corsairs. The 13th victorywas the unlucky one, he took multiple hitsbut managed to land his shattered planeat Munda airfield in New Georgia,providentially opened the day before. On30 August, over Kahili, he flew alonethrough a flight of about 50 Japanese air-craft andtook down four of them. For thisand his victories on 15 August he receivedhis Medal of Honor As a postscript hewould get into the Pacific for a second tourin 1945, just in time to get one more killover Okinawa. This brought his total to21 aircraft, making him the Corps'fourth-ranking ace.

Before we landed at Henderson Field wewere put into a holding pattern. As we or-bited over the field I tried to pick out theLunga and the Matanikau from among thestreams that coursed down from the hills.

All looked like polished brass strips glint-ing in the noonday sun as they twistedtheir way through the green vegetation tothe sea. From the air, the coconut groves,edging the water and planted in theirevenly spaced squares, looked just as Iremembered them. Farther inland was thekunai grass, more golden than green. Far-ther yet, on up the slopes of the moun-tains, was the darker, brooding,blue-green of the jungle.

Which of those hills was Mount Austen?I wasn't sure. Nor was I prepared for theaerial view of Honiara, a town of 30,000,laid out in a neat pattern of what wouldturn out largely to be small concrete-blockhouses.

T HIS WAS 6 AUGUST 1991. Our aircraft,a VIP-configured C-9B, the Navy'sversion of the McDonnell Douglass DC-9,touched down for a smooth landing and

Fortitudine, FaIl 1992

Dignitaries from the US. andother Pacific nations attending the 7 August 1992 dedi-cation ceremonies on Skyline Ridge are reflected by the highly polished surface of thenew memorial to Americans killed in the Guadalcanal campaign, now 50 years past.

Photo by WO Mike Hedlund.

14

t. •-r--

4

--: •.- .•

Memorandum from the Director

Guadalcanal 50 Years LaterBGen Simmons

F ROM ThE AIR, Savo Island was the firstlandmark we picked up; its coneshape was unmistakable. I could make outFlorida Island but I could not see Tulagior Gavutu-Tanambogo in the afternoonhaze. Then close by I saw the serrated crestof Cape Esperance on the main island ofGuadalcanal itself. Later, LtCol KennethA. Walsh, USMC (Ret), one of four Ma-rine Corps aces present, would tell me thatwhen flying back from the north, hewould look for Cape Esperance. When hecould see it, he would know that he wouldmake it safely home to Henderson Field.

Kenny Walsh had begun the war as anenlisted pilot. He joined the Marine Corpsin 1933 and won his wings in 1937. Hewas a second lieutenant in VM1124 whenit arrived on Guadalcanal in February 1943with the new F4- U Vought Corsair Thegull-winged Corsairs were better than any-thing the Japanese could put into the airThe squadron went against 58 Zeroes on1 April. Six Corsairs went down but the

Japanese lost 18 Zeroes, three of them toWalsh. He got three more on 7 April. Hisvictories continued On 15 August,refreshedfrom rest and recreation in Aus-tralia, he had another triple victory day,his 11th, 12th, and 13th, while leading adivision offive Corsairs. The 13th victorywas the unlucky one; he took multiple hitsbut managed to land his shattered planeat Munda airfield in New Georgia,providentially opened the day before. On30 August, over Kahii, he flew alonethrough a flight ofabout 50 Japanese air-craft andtook down four of them. For thisand his victories on 15 August he receivedhis Medal of Honor As a postscript hewould get into the Pacific for a second tourin 1945, just in time to get one more killover Okinawa. This brought his total to21 aircraft, making him the Corps 'fourth-ranking ace.

Before we landed at Henderson Field wewere put into a holding pattern. As we or-bited over the field I tried to pick out theLunga and the Matanikau from among thestreams that coursed down from the hills.

All looked like polished brass strips glint-ing in the noonday sun as they twistedtheir way through the green vegetation tothe sea. From the air, the coconut groves,edging the water and planted in theirevenly spaced squares, looked just as Iremembered them. Farther inland was thekunai grass, more golden than green. Far-ther yet, on up the slopes of the moun-tains, was the darker, brooding,blue-green of the jungle.

Which of those hills was Mount Austen?I wasn't sure. Nor was I prepared for theaerial view of Honiara, a town of 30,000,laid out in a neat pattern of what wouldturn out largely to be small concrete-blockhouses.

T HIS WAS 6 AUGUST 1991. Our aircraft,a VIP-configured C-9B, the Navy'sversion of the McDonnell Douglass DC-9,touched down for a smooth landing and


Dignitaries from the US. and other Pacific nations attending the 7 August 1992 dedi-cation ceremonies on Skyline Ridge are reflected by the highly polished surface of thenew memorial to Americans killed in the Guadalcanal campaign, now 50 years past.

Photo by WO Mike Hedlund.

then taxied to the modest terminal. Aramp was rolled out to the plane and GenJohn R. Dailey, the Assistant Comman-dant of the Marine Corps and represent-ing the Joint Chiefs of Staff in theceremonies to come, stepped down toreceive honors rendered by the 1st MarineDivision Band.

It was a particularly poignant momentforJack Dailey. His father BGen Frank G.Dailey, USMC (Deceased), had flownfrom Guadalcanal with the 1st Marine Air-craft Wing asamajor For heroism in fly-ing a single-engined amp hibian far at seain search-and-rescue missions, he receivedthe Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Son

Jack had been born in 1934 at Quantico.The elder Dailey, commissioned from theUniversity of Nebraska in 1927 anda fliersince 1930, had flown against the San-dinistas in Nicaragua. After Guadalcanal,he would be on the staff of VAdm MarcA. Mitscher, Commander Task Force 58,in the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) at IwoJima and Okinawa.

There was a cluster of dignitaries wait-ing to greet Gen Dailey and his wife,Mimi. MajGen Charles E. Wilhelm, Com-manding General, 1st Marine Division,and BGen Gary E. Brown, Deputy Com-mander, Fleet Marine Force Pacific (andrepresenting Commander-in-Chief, Pacif-ic) were among those present. Smiling

young Solomon Island girls of school ageplaced leis of flowers around their necks.

T he honor guard was drawn from the200-person detachment, command-ed by Maj Robert H. Barrow, Jr., mostlyMarines, but some Navy, including a con-tingent of SeaBees. The detachment,called Task Force Guadalcanal, had beenin the South Pacific for the past twomonths, with such ports of call as Fiji andTonga. Out in the harbor was the large,gray shape of the detachment's homeaf'oat, the USS Racine (LST-1191), and thetwo smaller shapes of the Australianfrigate, HMAS Tobruk, and the NewZealand research ship, HMNZS Tui.

The ships lay just west of where the 15ships of Transport Division X-Ray withtwo-thirds of the 1st Marine Division em-barked had taken station in the pre-dawnof 7 August 1942. MajGen Alexander A.Vandegrzft the division's commandinggeneral, planned to land the 1st and 5thMarines east of Lunga Point.

Across Sealark Channel, the 1st RaiderBattalion, followed by the 2d Battalion,5th Marines, would land at Tulagil The 1stParachute Battalion would go in atGavutu-Tanambogo. Company A of the2dMarines would scout out Florida Island;the rest of the 2d Marines would be inreserve.

Gen and Mrs. Dailey were to stay at thehome of Mick Kranas, the Australianmanager of the Bank of the Solomons,and his wife, Yvonne. Driving there alongthe coast road (now hard-surfaced and nothub-cap deep mud as I remembered it),I, at first, saw nothing recognizable. Wecrossed the Lunga River by way of a shin-ing white concrete bridge, a recent gift ofthe Japanese to the Solomon Islanders.Paralleling it is an old Bailey bridge, a rel-ic, I suppose, of the war years.

V IEWED UPSTREAM the Lunga looks theway it should, either as rememberedor from wartime photographs. As wemoved into the town the number ofhouses and buildings increased.

Fifty years before, this had been the vil-lage of Kukum. The 5th Marines, underCol LeRoy P Hunt and less its 2d Battal-ion which was at Tulagi, had held the linefrom Kukum to the west bank of theLunga.

Next to be crossed was the Matanikauof sinister memory. Looking seaward Icould see the sand bar choking its en-trance.

At first the Matanik.au had marked asfar west as the American patrols would go.late in Septembe Vandegrzft tried a com-plicated crossing of the river with threebattalions. He tried again in early Octobe

4 Fortitudine, Fall 1992

Photo by GySgi Ernie CarterSolomon Islanders, many in their 70s, who are veterans of W/orld Above, the veterans, some of them shoeless as called for by tra-War II were officially recognized by their government with the dition, pass in review at a well attended ceremony at Lawsonpresentation to each of a specially designed medal and ribbon. Tama Athletic Field in Honiara, Guadalcanal, on 8 August.

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then taxied to the modest terminal. Aramp was rolled out to the plane and GenJohn R. Dailey, the Assistant Comman-dant of the Marine Corps and represent-ing the Joint Chiefs of Staff in theceremonies to come, stepped down toreceive honors rendered by the 1st MarineDivision Band.

It was a particularly poignant momentforJack Dailey. His father BGen Frank G.Dailey, USMC (Deceased), had flownfrom Guadalcanal with the 1st Marine Air-craft IVing as a major For heroism in fly-ing a single-engined amp hibian far at seain search-and-rescue missions, he receivedthe Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Son

Jack had been born in 1934 at Quantico.The elder Dailey, commissioned from theUniversity of Nebraska in 1927 anda fliersince 1930, had flown against the San-dinistas in Nicaragua. After Guadalcanal,he would be on the staff of VAdm MarcA. Mitscher, Commander Task Force 58,in the USS Bunker Hill (CV1 7) at IwoJima and Okinawa.

There was a cluster of dignitaries wait-ing to greet Gen Dailey and his wife,Mimi. MajGen Charles E. Wilhelm, Com-manding General, 1st Marine Division,and BGen Gary E. Brown, Deputy Com-mander, Fleet Marine Force Pacific (andrepresenting Commander-in-Chief, Pacif-ic) were among those present. Smiling

young Solomon Island girls of school ageplaced leis of flowers around their necks.

T he honor guard was drawn from the200-person detachment, command-ed by Maj Robert H. Barrow, Jr., mostlyMarines, but some Navy, including a con-tingent of SeaBees. The detachment,called Task Force Guadalcanal, had beenin the South Pacific for the past twomonths, with such ports of call as Fiji andTonga. Out in the harbor was the large,gray shape of the detachment's homeaf'oat, the USS Racine (LST-1191), and thetwo smaller shapes of the Australianfrigate, HMAS Tobruk, and the NewZealand research ship, HMNZS Tui.

The shit7s lay just west of where the 15shijt's of Transport Division X-Ray withtwo-thirds of the 1st Marine Division em-barked had taken station in the pre-dawnof 7 August 1942. MajGen Alexander A.Vandegrift, the division's commandinggeneral, planned to land the 1st and 5thMarines east of Lunga Point.

Across Sealark Channel, the 1st RaiderBattalion, followed by the 2d Battalion,5th Marines, would landat Tulagi The 1stParachute Battalion would go in atGavutu-Tanambogo. Company A of the2dMarines wouldscout out Florida Island,the rest of the 2d Marines would be inreserve.

Gen and Mrs. Dailey were to stay at thehome of Mick Kranas, the Australianmanager of the Bank of the Solomons,and his wife, Yvonne. Driving there alongthe coast road (now hard-surfaced and nothub-cap deep mud as I remembered it),I, at first, saw nothing recognizable. Wecrossed the Lunga River by way of a shin-ing white concrete bridge, a recent gift ofthe Japanese to the Solomon Islanders.Paralleling it is an old Bailey bridge, a rel-ic, I suppose, of the war years.

V IEWED UPSTREAI'4 the Lunga looks theway it should, either as rememberedor from wartime photographs. As wemoved into the town the number ofhouses and buildings increased.

Fifty years before, this had been the vil-lage of Kukum, The 5th Marines, underCol LeRoy I? Hunt and less its 2d Battal-ion which was at Tulagi, had held the linefrom Kukum to the west bank of theLunga.

Next to be crossed was the Matanikauof sinister memory. Looking seaward Icould see the sand bar choking its en-trance.

At first the Matanikau had marked asfar west as the American patrols would go.late in September Vandegrift tried a com-plicated crossing of the river with threebattalions. He tried again in early Octobei


Photo by GySgt Ernie CarterSolomon Islanders, many in their 70s, who are veterans of World Above, the veterans, some of them shoeless as calledfor by tra-War II were officially recognized by their government with the dition, pass in review at a well attended ceremony at Lawsonpresentation to each of a specially designed medal and ribbon. Tama Athletic Field in Honiara, Guadalcanal, on 8 August.

this time with five battalions, and killedmany Japanese near the mouth of theriver but did not gain any ground thatcould be held Later that month theJapanese 2d (Sendai) Division wouldprobe across the river and get thrown back.On the first of November; the 5th and2dMarines would cross the Matanikau andget as far as Kokumbona before beingrecalled because of threats elsewhereagainst the perimeter On 18 November,Vandegrift would move out once again tothe west, crossing the river with the 8thMarines, the 164th Infantry, and two bat-talions of the just-arrived 182d Infantry.Fighting was still inconclusive when on 9December 1942 Vandegrift turned overcommand of the island to MajGen Alex-anderM. Patch, USA, commanding gener-al of the Americal Division.

W EST OF THE Matanikau now lies themain part of Honiara. Some of thedowntown buildings are several storieshigh and quite impressive. We passed apark with a shrouded statue which I knewto be a figure of the legendary Sir JacobVouza.

Vouza was a retired sergeant major ofSolomon Islands Protectorate Armed Con-stabulary, living quietly in his village,when the Japanese arrived in 1942. Vou-za, born in 1900 in Tasimboko, hadreceived a rudimentary education in theSouth Sea Evangelical Mission School andhad joined the constabulary very young.He had completed 25 years' service by thetime of his retirement in 1941.

Some days after the Marine landing hecame down from the hills to offer his serv-ices as a scout to the Division intelligencesection. Col Kiyono Ichiki had just land-ed near Taivu on 18 August with a rein-forced battalion. Vouza, scouting near thevillage of Volonavua, was captured by aJapanese patrol. A small American flag,given to him by the Marines, was foundon his person. Vouza recognized one of hiscaptors as "Ishimoto," a carpenter andshiwright who had workedaround the is-land Ishimoto, now in Japanese uniform,led the interrogation. Vouza, tied to astake in the blistering sun, beaten with ri-fle butts, and slashed with bayonets, wasleft to die.

He chewed his way through the strawropes that bound him and managed toreach the American lines where he wasmet by the coastwatcher Martin Clemens,

who says, "He was an awful messVouza described what he had seen of the

Japanese, their numbers and theirweapons.

That night, 20 August, Ichiki tried tobreach the left flank of the Marineperimeter on the near bank of "AlligatorCreek," which was the Marine name forthe confusing channels of the Tenaru. TheMarine lines there were held by the 2dBattalion, 1st Marines (LtCol Edwin A.Pollock). The Marines held and atdaybreak, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines(LtCol Lenard B. Cresswell), moved up-stream and came down on the Japaneseflank. Caught between the two battalionsand the sea, and with most of his 900 mendead or dying, Collchiki burned his colorsand shot himself through the head

On 11 October, a Marine raid againstan outpost at Gurabusu village, 30 mileseast of the perimeter; killed 32 Japanese.Among the dead, the Marines took satis-faction in noting, was Ishimoto, Vouza'storturer

The statue of Vouza was to be re-dedicated on the following day. Next tothe statue was a temporary 250-persontent camp, built by the Marines and Sea-Bees of Task Force Guadalcanal and finerin all respects than any tent camp I canremember from World War II.

In addition to the Marines and Navyashore, the tent camp was to provide hous-ing for the expected overflow of visitors,particularly the returning veterans, of allservices, of Guadalcanal, of whom some-thing like a thousand were expected. Thelargest number were on board the big,gleaming white, cruise ship Ocean Pearl,which was tied up to one of Honiara'sprincipal piers. Other visitors were ashorein Honiara's several small hotels — theMendana, the Honiara, and the Hibiscus.The Mendana is the largest. I was told thatits Japanese owner had agreed to foregoflying the Rising Sun flag during theceremonial period.

T HE HOUSE OF Mick and YvonneKranas is a lovely tropical villa withslatted doors, louvered windows, ceilingfans, and a swimming pool, on a ridgecalled Lenggeteke, a name not familiar tome, overlooking Honiara. With its luxu-riant hibiscus and bougainvillea, theKranas house reminded me of similarhomes I had known in the Caribbean.

There was barely time to drop our bag-gage and freshen up (of greatest impor-tance to Mimi Dailey who always managedan impeccable appearance) before leavingfor a garden-party reception at StateHouse, the Governor General's residence,on East Kola'a Ridge. This was another su-perbly located tropical villa.

Our hosts were the Governor General,His Excellency, Sir George Geria DennisLepping, G.C.M.G., M.B.E., K.Stj., andLady Lepping, both native Solomon Is-landers. The Solomon Islands have beenan independent nation since 1978, aparliamentary democracy within the Brit-ish Commonwealth. Primarily a Melane-sian people, the population of the islandsis now more than 300,000, three timeswhat it was during the war years.

The Governor General's engraved invi-tation specified "Dress: Tropical Formal(Decorations may be worn)." Our welcom-ing packet, received on arrival at the air-port, included a useful note, indicatingthat "Island Formal," when required,meant shirt (short- or long-sleeved) withcollar, long trousers, and shoes for men.

T HE GUESTS AT THE Governor Gener-al's garden party were for the mostpart more formally dressed than "IslandFormal." Coat and tie was the rule ratherthan the exception. Most formal, in darksuits, were the dignitaries from Tonga andFiji. Many of the guests of World War IIvintage wore large medals in the Britishtradition. The Australians and NewZealanders tended toward safari suits.There were a great number of white uni-forms, including the U.S. Navy and Ma-rine Corps officers present.

I knew a fair number of the personspresent. Immediately recognizable wasMartin Clemens, the coastwatcher,resplendent in a white shirt with polishedlarge medals, both British and American.We renewed our acquaintance.

On the morning before the landing,Capt Martin Clemens "was the most mis-erable ofmen." The Japanese invasion andthe work on the airfield had forced himand his handful of native scouts to takerefuge in the hills. "We ate nothing forthree days. I was at a miserable hamletcalled Vuchikoro, could see nothing, lowmist in the morning, batteries were weak,charging engine unreliable. Difficult tosleep. What to do."

On the morning of 7 August he heard

Fortitudine, Fall 1992 5

this time with five battalions, and killedmany Japanese near the mouth of theriver; but did not gain any ground thatcould he held Later that month theJapanese 2d (Sendai) Division wouldprobe across the river and get thrown back.On the first of November, the 5th and2dMarines would cross the Matanikau andget as far as Kokumbona before beingrecalled because of threats elsewhereagainst the perimeter On 18 November;Vandegrift would move out once again tothe west, crossing the river with the 8thMarines, the 164th Infantry, and two bat-talions of the just-arrived 182d Infantry.Fighting was still inconclusive when on 9December 1942 Vandegrzft turned overcommand of the island to MajGen Alex-ander M. Patch, USA, commanding gener-al of the Americal Division.

W EST OF THE Matanikau now lies themain part of Honiara. Some of thedowntown buildings are several storieshigh and quite impressive. We passed apark with a shrouded statue which I knewto be a figure of the legendary Sir JacobVouza.

Vouza was a retired sergeant major ofSolomon Islands Protectorate Armed Con-stabulary, living quietly in his village,when the Japanese arrived in 1942. Vou-za, born in 1900 in Tasimboko, hadreceived a rudimentary education in theSouth Sea Evangelical Mission School andhad joined the constabulary very young.He had completed 25 years' service by thetime of his retirement in 1941.

Some days after the Marine landing hecame down from the hills to offer his serv-ices as a scout to the Division intelligencesection. Col Ki:yono Ichiki had just land-ed near Taivu on 18 August with a rein-forced battalion. Vouza, scouting near thevillage of Volonavua, was captured by aJapanese patrol. A small American flag,given to him by the Marines, was foundon his person. Vouza recognized one of hiscaptors as "Ishimoto," a carpenter andshiO wright who had worked aroundthe is-land Ishimoto, now in Japanese uniform,led the interrogation. Vouza, tied to astake in the blistering sun, beaten with ri-fle butts, and slashed with bayonets, wasleft to die.

He chewed his way through the strawropes that bound him and managed toreach the American lines where he wasmet by the coastwatcher; Martin Clemens,

who says, "He was an awful messVouza described what he had seen of the

Japanese, their numbers and theirweapons.

That night, 20 August, Ichiki tried tobreach the left flank of the Marineperimeter on the near bank of 'AlligatorCreek," which was the Marine name forthe confusing channels of the Tenaru. TheMarine lines there were held by the 2dBattalion, 1st Marines (LtCol Edwin A.Pollock). The Marines held and atdaybreak, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines(LtCol Lenard B. Cresswell), moved up-stream and came down on the Japaneseflank. Caught between the two battalionsand the sea, and with most of his 900 mendead or dying, Col Ichiki burned his colorsand shot himself through the head

On 11 October; a Marine raid againstan outpost at Gurabusu village, 30 mileseast of the perimeter; killed 32 Japanese.Among the dead, the Marines took satis-faction in noting, was Ishimoto, Vouza'storturer

The statue of Vouza was to be re-dedicated on the following day. Next tothe statue was a temporary 250-persontent camp, built by the Marines and Sea-Bees of Task Force Guadalcanal and finerin all respects than any tent camp I canremember from World War II.

In addition to the Marines and Navyashore, the tent camp was to provide hous-ing for the expected overflow of visitors,particularly the returning veterans, of allservices, of Guadalcanal, of whom some-thing like a thousand were expected. Thelargest number were on board the big,gleaming white, cruise ship Ocean Pearl,which was tied up to one of Honiara'sprincipal piers. Other visitors were ashorein Honiara's several small hotels — theMendana, the Honiara, and the Hibiscus.The Mendana is the largest. I was told thatits Japanese owner had agreed to foregoflying the Rising Sun flag during theceremonial period.

T HE HOUSE OF Mick and YvonneKranas is a lovely tropical villa withslatted doors, louvered windows, ceilingfans, and a swimming pool, on a ridgecalled Lenggeteke, a name not familiar tome, overlooking Honiara. With its luxu-riant hibiscus and bougainvillea, theKranas house reminded me of similarhomes I had known in the Caribbean.

There was barely time to drop our bag-gage and freshen up (of greatest impor-tance to Mimi Dailey who always managedan impeccable appearance) before leavingfor a garden-party reception at StateHouse, the Governor General's residence,on East Kola'a Ridge. This was another su-perbly located tropical villa.

Our hosts were the Governor General,His Excellency, Sir George Geria DennisLepping, G.C.M.G., M.B.E., K.Stj., andLady Lepping, both native Solomon Is-landers. The Solomon Islands have beenan independent nation since 1978, aparliamentary democracy within the Brit-ish Commonwealth. Primarily a Melane-sian people, the population of the islandsis now more than 300,000, three timeswhat it was during the war years.

The Governor General's engraved invi-tation specified "Dress: Tropical Formal(Decorations may be worn)." Our welcom-ing packet, received on arrival at the air-port, included a useful note, indicatingthat "Island Formal," when required,meant shirt (short- or long-sleeved) withcollar, long trousers, and shoes for men.

T HE GUESTS AT THE Governor Gener-al's garden party were for the mostpart more formally dressed than "IslandFormal." Coat and tie was the rule ratherthan the exception. Most formal, in darksuits, were the dignitaries from Tonga andFiji. Many of the guests of World War IIvintage wore large medals in the Britishtradition. The Australians and NewZealanders tended toward safari suits.There were a great number of white uni-forms, including the U.S. Navy and Ma-rine Corps officers present.

I knew a fair number of the personspresent. Immediately recognizable wasMartin Clemens, the coastwatcher,resplendent in a white shirt with polishedlarge medals, both British and American.We renewed our acquaintance.

On the morning before the landing,Capt Martin Clemens "was the most mis-erable of men." The Japanese invasion andthe work on the airfield had forced himand his handful of native scouts to takerefuge in the hills. "JVe ate nothing forthree days. I was at a miserable hamletcalled Vuchikoro, could see nothing, lowmist in the morning, batteries were weak,charging engine unreliable. Difficult tosleep. What to do."

On the morning of 7 August he heard


very heavy detonations. "lVe grabbed theradio and slithered up the hi/ito see thisamazing panorama laid out as far as theeye could see. Savo to Ruasura, from Lun-ga to Tulagi ships everywhere, and smallboats unloading."

Clemens received a radio signal he con-sidered 'ompous, warning him to be-ware of retreating enemy, and that hewould be advised when to come down.'As if Icared,"said Clemens. "It was shoesI needed"

He was not told "to come down" untilthe 13th when a message arrived saying,"US Marines have landed successfully in

force and will be glad to see you."'And so," said now-Maj Martin Cle-

mens. "I walked down, shoe-less until thelast half mile and with six of my topscouts, my dog, and a large Union Jack Imarchedalong the beach andljoined the1st Marine Division as their British Liai-son Officer and Officer-in-Charge, Scouts.

"Quite early on, when General Van-degrift andl were discussing Rugby Un-ion, which he had played in Shanghai, it

became obvious that he was particularlyconcerned with the wretched performanceof patrols, the lack of liaison betweenunits, and the total inability offish poleaerials to transmit in the jungle. My ladshad been stalking the enemy on bare feetfor some months so we were able to teachthe Marines a thing or two, while I soonshowed them how to rig an alternative aer-ial which worked"

A NOTHER FAMILIAR FACE at the Gover-nor General's reception was that ofGen Raymond G. Davis, onetime Assis-tant Commandant of the Marine Corps,holder of the Medal of Honor (but forKorea, not Guadalcanal), and there as theofficial representative of the President ofthe United States.

At Guadalcanal, Capt Ray Davis hadcommanded a battery of .50 caliber an-tiaircraft machine guns. Later, as a major,he would command the 1st Battalion, 1stMarines, at Cape Gloucester and Peleliu.

The Governor General's reception wasfollowed almost without pause by a recep-

tion given by the United States on boardthe USS Racine. We congregated on thepier in the lee of the great white hull ofthe Ocean Pearl, waiting our turn to goby launch or small boat out to the Racine.The hot, humid afternoon had given wayto a cool and pleasant evening.

While waiting, I met the four Marineaviator aces, all instantly recognizablefrom the Medals of Honor hanging pen-dant from the white-starred blue watered-silk ribbons around their necks. In addi-tion to LtCol Walsh, those present wereBGen Robert E. Galer, Col Jefferson J.DeBlanc, and Col James E. Swett.

Capt Bob Galer had commandedVMF-224, one of the first fighter squa-drons to come into Henderson Field, ar-riving on 30 August from the carrier USSHornet (CV 8). VMF-224 had its first ene-my contact at noon on 2 September whenit went up to meet a 40-plane raid TheJapanese lost seven planes, two of themto Galer On 11 September he was shotdown after getting a bomber and a Zero.He landed in the water and swam ashore.


The polished granite stele of the American memorial is promi-nent against the sky, flanked by the Solomons and US. flags,at the dedication ceremonies which featured Gen Raymond G.

Davis, USMC (Ret), representing the US. president, and GenJohn R. Dailey, USMC, representing the Joint Chiefs of StaffGuadalcanal's famous ridged landscape makes the backdrop.

Photo by WO Mike Hedlund

"0

p

very heavy detonations. "lVe grabbed theradio and slithered up the hi/ito see thisamazing panorama laid out as far as theeye could see. Savo to Ruasura, from Lun-ga to Tulagi, ships everywhere, and smallboats unloading."

Clemens received a radio signal he con-sidered 'pompous," warning him to be-ware of retreating enemy, and that hewould be advised when to come down.'As if I care"said Clemens. "It was shoesI needed"

He was not told "to come down" untilthe 13th when a message arrived saying,"US Marines have landed successfully in

force and will be glad to see you."'And so," said now-Maj Martin Cle-

mens. "I walked down, shoe-less until thelast half mile and with six of my topscouts, my dog, and a large Union Jack Imarc hed along the beach andlyoinedthe1st Marine Division as their British Liai-son Officer and Officer-in- Charge, Scouts.

"Quite early on, when General Van-degrift and I were discussing Rugby Un-ion, which he had played in Shanghai, it

became obvious that he was particularlyconcerned with the wretched performanceof patrols, the lack of liaison betweenunits, and the total inability of fish poleaerials to transmit in the jungle. My ladshad been stalking the enemy on bare feetfor some months so we were able to teachthe Marines a thing or two, while I soonshowed them how to rig an alternative aer-ial which worked"

A NOTHER FAMILIAR FACE at the Gover-nor General's reception was that ofGen Raymond G. Davis, onetime Assis-tant Commandant of the Marine Corps,holder of the Medal of Honor (but forKorea, not Guadalcanal), and there as theofficial representative of the President ofthe United States.

At Guadalcanal, Capt Ray Davis hadcommanded a battery of .50 caliber an-tiaircraft machine guns. Later, as a major,he would command the 1st Battalion, 1stMarines, at Cape Gloucester and Pelelizi.

The Governor General's reception wasfollowed almost without pause by a recep-

tion given by the United States on boardthe USS Racine. We congregated on thepier in the lee of the great white hull ofthe Ocean Pearl, waiting our turn to goby launch or small boat out to the Racine.The hot, humid afternoon had given wayto a cool and pleasant evening.

While waiting, I met the four Marineaviator aces, all instantly recognizablefrom the Medals of Honor hanging pen-dant from the white-starred blue watered-silk ribbons around their necks. In addi-tion to LtCol Walsh, those present wereBGen Robert E. Galer, Col Jefferson J.DeBlanc, and Col James E. Swett.

Capt Bob Ga/er had commandedVMF-224, one of the first fighter squa-drons to come into Henderson Field, ar-riving on 30 August from the carrier USSHornet (CV 8). VMF-224 had its first ene-my contact at noon on 2 September whenit went up to meet a 40-plane raid TheJapanese lost seven planes, two of themto Ga/er On 11 September he was shotdown after getting a bomber and a Zero.He landed in the water and swam ashore.


The polished granite stele of the American memorial is promi-nent against the sky, flanked by the Solomons and US. flags,at the dedication ceremonies which featured Gen Raymond G.

Davis, USMC (Ret), representing the US. president, and GenJohn R. Dailey, USMC, representing the Joint Chiefs of StaffGuadalcanal's famous ridged landscape makes the backdrop.


His final total was 13 enemy aircraft.Flying a F4-F Grumman W7ildcat, 2dLt

Jeff DeBlanc of VMF-112 on 31 January1943 was part of the escort of a bombingmission being run against Japanese ship-ping in Vella Gulf DeBlanc took his flightinto the Japanese interceptors who, in su-perior numbers, had come up to meethim. He shot down three float planes andtwo Zeroes before jumping from his bad-ly damaged W7ildcat at very low altitudeover enemy-held Kolombangara. SSgtJames A. Felton was also shot down andjoined DeBlanc. They were found by acoastwatcher and 13 days later theyreturned to Guadalcanal, lifted offKolombangara by a search-and-rescue am-phibian "Duck." By the war's end De-Blanc was credited with nine aircraft shotdown.

W HILE THEY WERE ON Guadalcanalfor the anniversary, Galer, Dc-Blanc, Swett, and Walsh would fly 'theSlot" once more, going north in a com-fortable passenger aircraft, on what wouldhave been a sentimental journey exceptthat fighter pilots are never sentimental.

The ride out to the Racine in the cap-tain's gig was across waters glittering withthe reflected light from the ships andshore. All the ships in the harbor were il-luminated and dressed out with lights.The atmosphere was that of a watercarnival.

In 1942 the shijs had been blacked outand the nights dark except for the starshells, the muzzle flashes, the burstingshells, and the burning ships.

T HESE WERE THE WATERS that are nowset down on the charts as Iron Bot-tom Sound." A group of underwater ex-plorers from the National GeographicSociety had been probing those depthsand to date had found the hulks of 14Japanese and American ships. Out there,dimly in the dark, was Savo Island and be-yond that, unseen, was Tulagi. I thoughtof how it must have been 50 years earlier.

On 8 August the half-finishedJapaneseairstrlj that would become HendersonField was taken without difficulty. Thebombers came over again at noon, goingafter the transports. A council of war was

held that night on board the McCawley(AP-lO), the Amphibious Force flagshij,.RA dm Frank Jack Fletcher who had lost21 of his 99 fighters, was pulling his threecamers out to the south. RAdm fr A. C.Crutchley, Australian Navy, commandingthe Screening Force, was concerned abouthis cruisers in these close waters. RAdmRichmond Kelly Turne commanding theAttack Force, said that his transports, stillhalf loaded; could not stay unprotected inthe objective area. MajGen Vandegrift saidthat he must check on the situation atTulagi before he could possibly concur inthe departure of the transports.

It was almost midnight, and Vandegriftwas on his way to Tulagi in a minesweep-er; when a Japanese cruiser-destroyerforce —four heavy cruisers, Chokai, Aoba,Kako and Kinugasa, light cruisers Tenryuand Yubari, and the destroyer Yunagi —came into Sealark Channel at flank speed;all guns blazing. It was the Battle of SavoIsland and before morning Crutchley 'sforce was nearly all gone in what forever-more would be called Iron Bottom SoundThe US. cruisers Quincy (CA 39), Astor-ia (CA 34), and Vincennes (CA 44), and


u&-J

FLORIDA ISLAND

HarnbQ SAVO I TULAGI I.:GAVUT

Cape Esperance

GuadalcanalTulagi-Gavutu and

Florida Islands0 10

Miles

______________

Kamimbo Bay

Beau fort

Tassafaronga Pt.

Nggela Channel

Sealark Channel,,.

Len go Channel

Talvu Pt

I

Indispensable Strait

Aola Bay

His final total was 13 enemy aircraft.Flying a F4-F Grumman Wildcat, 2dLt

Jeff DeBlanc of VMF-112 on 31 January1943 was part of the escort of a bombingmission being run against Japanese ship-ping in Vella Gulf DeBlanc took his jlzghtinto the Japanese interceptors who, in su-perior numbers, had come up to meethim. He shot down three float planes andtwo Zeroes before jumping from his bad-ly damaged Wildcat at very low altitudeover enemy-held Kolombangara. SSgtJames A. Felton was also shot down andjoined DeBlanc. They were found by acoastwatcher and 13 days later theyreturned to Guadalcanal, lifted offKolombangara by a search-and-rescue am-phibian "Duck." By the war's end De-Blanc was credited with nine aircraft shotdown.

W HILE THEY WERE ON Guadalcanalfor the anniversary, Galer, De-Blanc, Swett, and Walsh would fly 'theSlot" once more, going north in a com-fortable passenger aircraft, on what wouldhave been a sentimental journey exceptthat fighter pilots are never sentimental.

The ride out to the Racine in the cap-tain's gig was across waters glittering withthe reflected light from the ships andshore. All the ships in the harbor were il-luminated and dressed out with lights.The atmosphere was that of a watercarnival.

In 1942 the ships had been blacked outand the nights dark except for the starshells, the muzzle flashes, the burstingshells, and the burning ships.

T HESE WERE THE WATERS that are nowset down on the charts as "Iron Bot-tom Sound." A group of underwater ex-plorers from the National GeographicSociety had been probing those depthsand to date had found the hulks of 14Japanese and American ships. Out there,dimly in the dark, was Savo Island and be-yond that, unseen, was Tulagi. I thoughtof how it must have been 50 years earlier.

On 8 August the halffinishedJapaneseairstrzjb that would become HendersonField was taken without difficulty. Thebombers came over again at noon, goingafter the transports. A council of war was

held that night on board the McCawley(AP-JO), the Amphibious Force flagshij,.RAdm Frank Jack Fletcher, who had lost21 of his 99 fighters, was pulling his threecamers out to the south. RAdm fr A. C.Crutchley, Australian Navy, commandingthe Screening Force, was concerned abouthis cruisers in these close waters. RAdmRichmond Kelly Turner; commanding theAttack Force, said that his transports, stillhalf loaded; could not stay unprotectedinthe objective area. MajGen Vandegrzft saidthat he must check on the situation atTulagi before he could possibly concur inthe departure of the transports.

It was almost midnight, and Vandegriftwas on his way to Tulagi in a minesweep-er; when a Japanese cruiser-destroyerforce —four heavy cruisers, Chokai, Aoba,Kako and Kinugasa, light cruisers Tenryuand Yubari, and the destroyer Yunagi —came into Sealark Channel at flank speed,all guns blazing. It was the Battle of SavoIsland and before morning Crutchley'sforce was nearly all gone in what forever-more would be called Iron Bottom SoundThe US. cruisers Quincy (CA 39), Astor-ia (CA 34), and Vincennes (CA 44), and


u&-J

FLORIDA ISLAND

HambojLQ TULAGI I.SAVO I. GAVUT JJ

Cape Esperance

ligo Pt.

GuadalcanalTulagi-Gavutu and

Florida Islands0 10

Miles

_____________

Kamimbo Bay

Beau fort

Tassafaronga Pt.

Nggela Channel

Sealark Channel,,.

Len go Channel

Talvu Pt

I

Indispensable Strait

Aola Bay

Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra wereon the bottom; the USS Chicago (CA 29)badly damaged The Japanese had failedto attack the transports. Turner decided totake them out of harm's way and Van-degrift was left on the beach with 4 unitsoffire and 17 days rations. Six of his bat-talions were across the straits in the Tula-gi area; only five were on Guadalcanalitself four of the latter on line, one inreserve.

Racine is a magnificent ship, obviouslyscrubbed down and dressed out for this

state occasion. The crew, young, bright-faced, and smiling, seemed genuinelyhappy to welcome the horde of visitors,most of them old enough to be theirgrandparents, coming across the quarter-deck. The 1st Marine Division Band,theatrically positioned on the deck below,gave a concert. I talked with a SolomonIslander, a small, elderly man in a brownsafari suit, who had served as a coastwatch-er with Donald G. Kennedy, Clemens'counterpart on New Georgia, and whohad known Jacob Vouza well.

How much different was the Racinefrom the LSI7 number now forgotten, inwhich I traveled from New Caledonia toTulagi in January 1944. I remembered theharbor as it was then, filled with an as-sortment of landing shijt's, patrol craft, andtorpedo boats. I think I remember that theLSTs still had barrage balloons tethered totheir fantails, the theory being that div-ing bombers would cut themselves up onthe cables. The prevailing wisdom,however, was that the barrage balloonsserved as target designators for the ap-proaching Japanese bombers, although bythat time in the war, few, if any, Japaneseaircraft were penetrating that far south.

The USS Racine is a big and powerfulship, displacing 8,342 tons, rated to carry430 troops, commissioned in 1971, and aveteran of the closing days of the Vietnamconflict. By contrast, the diesel-poweredWorld War II LSTs were an assembly lineproduct; more than 1,000 were produced.They made their combat debut in theSolomons in 1943. Remarkably versatile,if primitive, they could lift about 200troops and could carry a 2,100-ton load ofsupplies, equipment, tanks, or vehicles.

F RIDAY, ' AUGUST, the 50th anniversaryof the landing itself and a nationalholiday in the Solomons, was a day filledwith ceremonies. I did not get to all ofthem. There was a dawn service at theCenotaph on Mendana Avenue in Honiarathat I missed.

I did go to the dedication of theGuadalcanal Campaign Memorial, as did,apparently, half the island's population.Skyline Drive, the dirt road leading up tothe ridge, was filled with people movingtoward the monument, in a holiday spirit,laughing, smiling, and shouting "Goodmorning," as our cars inched their way for-ward. The women, for the most part, worebright printed cotton dresses, the men, T-shirts and shorts or slacks. Most feet were

During the war the natives for the mostpart were sequestered in their villages, out-of bounds to the Americans and other Al-lied military. JVe occasionally saw maleSolomon Islanders, mostly in working par-ties, wearing khaki lava lavas and perhapsa shark 's-tooth necklace, and with a greatmass of bushy black hair into which a claypipe or perhaps a flower was stuck. JVealmost never saw women or children.

Mick Kranas, our Australian host, told


Famed W/orld W/ar II Guadalcanal coastwatcher Maj Martin Clemens speaks at the dedi-cation of the memorial to SgtMaj Sir Jacob C. Vouza in Honiara. Sir Jacob, whoseendurance under torture by the enemy was extraordinary, was knighted in 1979.


bare.

I

Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra wereon the bottom; the USS Chicago (CA 29)badly damaged The Japanese had failedto attack the transports. Turner decided totake them out of harm's way and Van-degrift was left on the beach with 4 unitsoffire and 17 days rations. Six of his bat-talions were across the straits in the Tula-gi area; only five were on Guadalcanalitself four of the latter on line, one inreserve.

Racine is a magnificent ship, obviouslyscrubbed down and dressed out for this

state occasion. The crew, young, bright-faced, and smiling, seemed genuinelyhappy to welcome the horde of visitors,most of them old enough to be theirgrandparents, coming across the quarter-deck. The 1st Marine Division Band,theatrically positioned on the deck below,gave a concert. I talked with a SolomonIslander, a small, elderly man in a brownsafari suit, who had served as a coastwatch-er with Donald G. Kennedy, Clemens'counterpart on New Georgia, and whohad known Jacob Vouza well.

How much different was the Racinefrom the LS7T number now forgotten, inwhich I traveled from New Caledonia toTulagi in January 1944. I remembered theharbor as it was then, filled with an as-sortment of landing ships, patrol craft, andtorpedo boats. I think I remember that theLSTs still had barrage balloons tethered totheir fantails, the theory being that div-ing bombers would cut themselves up onthe cables. The prevailing wisdom,however was that the barrage balloonsserved as target designators for the ap-proaching Japanese bombers, although bythat time in the war, few, if any, Japaneseaircraft were penetrating that far south.

The USS Racine is a big and powerfulship, displacing 8,342 tons, rated to carry430 troops, commissioned in 1971, and aveteran of the closing days of the Vietnamconflict. By contrast, the diesel-poweredWorld War II LSTs were an assembly lineproduct; more than 1,000 were produced.They made their combat debut in theSolomons in 1943. Remarkably versatile,if primitive, they could lift about 200troops and could carry a 2,100-ton load ofsupplies, equipment, tanks, or vehicles.

F RIDAY, AUGUST, the 50th anniversaryof the landing itself and a nationalholiday in the Solomons, was a day filledwith ceremonies. I did not get to all ofthem. There was a dawn service at theCenotaph on Mendana Avenue in Honiarathat I missed.

I did go to the dedication of theGuadalcanal Campaign Memorial, as did,apparently, half the island's population.Skyline Drive, the dirt road leading up tothe ridge, was filled with people movingtoward the monument, in a holiday spirit,laughing, smiling, and shouting "Goodmorning:' as our cars inched their way for-ward. The women, for the most part, worebright printed cotton dresses, the men,shirts and shorts or slacks. Most feet were

During the war the natives for the mostpart were sequestered in their villages, out-of bounds to the Americans and other Al-lied military. U occasionally saw maleSolomon Islanders, mostly in working par-ties, wearing khaki lava lavas and perhapsa shark 's-tooth necklace, and with a greatmass of bushy black hair into which a claypipe or perhaps a flower was stuck.almost never saw women or children.

Mick Kranas, our Australian host, told


Famed W/orld W/ar II Guadalcanal coastwatcher Maj Martin Clemens speaks at the dedi-cation of the memorial to SgtMaj Sir Jacob C. Vouza in Honiara. Sir Jacob, whoseendurance under torture by the enemy was extraordinary, was knighted in 1979.


bare.

me that Honiara and the relative prosperi-ty of Guadalcanal itself had attracted na-tives from all of the Solomon Islands. Hesaid that there were differences amongthem in skin color and physical detail, andthat an old island hand could tell at aglance whether an islander was fromMalaita, or Bougainville, or the Floridas,or wherever.

B JFH THE SOLOMON ISLAND PoliceBand and the 1st Marine DivisionBand played at the dedication. The pro-gram began with an invocation by U.S.Navy Chaplain Cdr Robert A. Black. Themaster of ceremonies, Dr. Robert C.Muehrcke, was introduced. Much of thecredit for achieving the memorial must goto Dr. Muehrcke. As a young man he hadlanded as a rifleman with the 164th U.S.Infantry, the first of the Army regimentsto arrive.

The 164th Infantry was a NationalGuard regiment, originally from NorthDakota, activated in 1940, and made upfor the most part, so it seemed of big,blondAmericans of Scandinavian or Teu-tonic origin. With this reinforcement,Vandegrift was able to divide his perimeterinto five sectors, roughly along regimen-tal lines. The Marines and the 164th got

along well. The Marines were still armedwith the Springfield 1903 bolt-action ri-Jie. The 164th had the semi-automatic M-1Garand The Marines admired and some-times acquired the M-1. They also be-stowed on the soldiers the accolade, "164thMarines."

Dr. Muehrcke made his welcoming re-marks and then went through the in-troductions of those who were to speak:the Hon Charles Dausabea, Minister ofHome Affairs; the U.S. President'srepresentative, Gen Davis; CoastwatcherMaj Clemens; the JCS representative, GenDailey.

The memorial was then unveiled byGen Davis and the U. S. Ambassador,Roben Farrand. (Mr. Farrand is a part-timeambassador to the Solomons. He is alsoaccredited to Papua New Guinea, whichabsorbs the major part of his time and at-tention.) The monument is an open rec-tangle of polished granite blocks or wallswith a stele or shaft rising in the middle.Bronze plates on the walls describe thebattles that were fought and list the unitsthat took part.

The dedication prayer was by the Rev.D. Barakana of the United Church of theSolomons. The hymn Amazing Grace"was sung by the choir of the Honiara

Church. A procession of wreaths was thenlaid. The hymn Eternal Father Strong toSave" followed. There was then a benedic-tion by the Rev Canon D. H. V. Bindonof the Church of Melanesia, followed bytaps by the 1st Marine Division Band anda firing salute by a squad from Task FbrceGuadalcanal.

A FTER THE DEDICATION, Gen Dailey'sparty moved to Edson's Ridge. Theridge was almost bare of grass, both frommowing and a recent burn-over. To thefront were the ravines through which theJapanese had mounted their attack. To therear, perhaps a mile away, Henderson Fieldwas in full view. Vandegrift's headquart-ers had lain between the ridge and thefield.

The 1st Raider Battalion, under LtColMerritt A. Edson, had come over fromTulagi, and with the remnant of the 1stParachute Battalion, had moved up on theridge on 12 September That night, Ma)-Gen Kiyotake Kawaguchi's brigade boiledout of the ravines in three attacks againstEdson 's line. The following night therewere two more assaults against the centerand a last effort against the parachutistson the left hank. Edson 's battalion, downto 400 effectives, bent but did not break.The 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, came up


Rendering salutes at the Raiders Memorial dedication ceremo-nies are, from left, MayGen Charles Wilhelm, 1st Marine Divi-sion commanding general, and Medal of Honor holders Col

Jefferson]. DeBlanc, USMC (Ret); BGen Robert E. Gale USMC(Ret); LtCol Kenneth A. Walsh, USMC (Ret); ColJames E. Swett,USMC (Ret); and Gen Raymond G. Davis, USMC (Ret).

—

me that Honiara and the relative prosperi-ty of Guadalcanal itself had attracted na-tives from all of the Solomon Islands. Hesaid that there were differences amongthem in skin color and physical detail, andthat an old island hand could tell at aglance whether an islander was fromMalaita, or Bougainville, or the Floridas,or wherever.

B JFH THE SOLOMON ISLAND PoliceBand and the 1st Marine DivisionBand played at the dedication. The pro-gram began with an invocation by U.S.Navy Chaplain Cdr Robert A. Black. Themaster of ceremonies, Dr. Robert C.Muehrcke, was introduced. Much of thecredit for achieving the memorial must goto Dr. Muehrcke. As a young man he hadlanded as a rifleman with the 164th U.s.Infantry, the first of the Army regimentsto arrive.

The 164th Infantry was a NationalGuard regiment, originally from NorthDakota, activated in 1940, and made upfor the most part, so it seemed, of big,blond Americans of Scandinavian or Teu-tonic origin. With this reinforcement,Vandegrift was able to divide his perimeterinto five sectors, roughly along regimen-tal lines. The Marines and the 1 64th got

along well. The Marines were still armedwith the Springfield 1903 bolt-action ri-fle. The 1 64th had the semi-automatic M-1Garand The Marines admired and some-times acquired the M-1. They also be-stowed on the soldiers the accolade, "164thMarines."

Dr. Muehrcke made his welcoming re-marks and then went through the in-troductions of those who were to speak:the Hon Charles Dausabea, Minister ofHome Affairs; the U.S. President'srepresentative, Gen Davis; CoastwatcherMaj Clemens; theJC5 representative, GenDailey.

The memorial was then unveiled byGen Davis and the U. S. Ambassador,Robert Farrand. (Mr. Farrand is a part-timeambassador to the Solomons. He is alsoaccredited to Papua New Guinea, whichabsorbs the major part of his time and at-tention.) The monument is an open rec-tangle of polished granite blocks or wallswith a stele or shaft rising in the middle.Bronze plates on the walls describe thebattles that were fought and list the unitsthat took part.

The dedication prayer was by the Rev.D. Barakana of the United Church of theSolomons. The hymn "Amazing Grace"was sung by the choir of the Honiara

Church. A procession of wreaths was thenlaid. The hymn "Eternal Father Strong toSave" followed. There was then a benedic-tion by the Rev Canon D. H. V. Bindonof the Church of Melanesia, followed bytaps by the 1st Marine Division Band anda firing salute by a squad from Task FbrceGuadalcanal.

A FTER THE DEDICATION, Gen Dailey'sparty moved to Edson's Ridge. Theridge was almost bare of grass, both frommowing and a recent burn-over. To thefront were the ravines through which theJapanese had mounted their attack. To therear, perhaps a mile away, Henderson Fieldwas in full view. Vandegrift's headquart-ers had lain between the ridge and thefield.

The 1st Raider Battalion, under LtColMerritt A. Edson, had come over fromTulagi, and with the remnant of the 1stParachute Battalion, had moved up on theridge on 12 September That night, May-Gen Kiyotake Kawaguchi's brigade boiledout of the ravines in three attacks againstEdson 's line. The following night therewere two more assaults against the centerand a last effort against the parachutistson the left flank. Edson 's battalion, downto 400 effectives, bent but did not break.The 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, came up


Rendering salutes at the Raiders Memorial dedication ceremo-nies are, from left, MajGen Charles Wilhelm, 1st Marine Divi-sion commanding general, and Medal of Honor holders Col

Jefferson]. DeBlanc, USMC (Ret); BGen Robert E. Galer USMC(Ret); LtCol Kenneth A. Walsh, USMC (Ret); ColJames E. Swett,USMC (Ret); and Gen Raymond G. Davis, USMC (Ret).

to reinforce. In the morning, 800 deadJapanese were counted on the ridge.

There is a small, white, triangular mar-ker, erected in 1967, on the ridge. Closeto it was a mess tent erected by Maj Bar-row's Marines. A Mess Night on the ridgewas planned for that night.

M Y EXCUSE, if not my reason, for be-ing in the Assistant Commandant'sparty was that I was the historical consul-tant for a videotape he was to make. Fromhalf a world away it had been decided thatEdson's Ridge would be a good place fora part of the narration. The video crew,from Quantico and tightly bound to thescript, was plagued by the whistling windcoming across the ridge and the over-bright noonday tropical sun comingstraight down. Gen Dailey patiently readand re-read the words of the script thatcame up on the teleprompter.

There were more ceremonies that after-noon, including the re-dedication of theSolomon Islands Campaign Memorial andof the Vouza statue near the Police Head-quarters (and adjacent to Task ForceGuadalcanal's tent camp) in Honiara.

Taken to the Division 'Ic makeshift hospi-tal by Clemens, Vouza was not expectedto survive the wounds received du ring hiscaptivity, but in 12 days he was back toduty. The 2d Raider Battalion, underLtCol Evans E Carlson, of Makin Islandfame, landed at Aola Bay, 40 miles eastofLunga, on 4 November Van degrift senthim on a long march, going completelyaroundtheperimete Vouza was assignedto Carlson as a guide. Carlson stayed inthe jungle until 4 December; havingmarched 150 miles, fought a dozen ac-tions, and killed perhaps 500 Japanese.

Vouza, when asked some time laterabout his survival of his capture and hisextraordinary services as a scout, said

I remember my training in thepolice, and how they tell me al-ways to be faithful to my king. Ithink about how naughty I waswhen I first joined the police andhow much trouble I causegovernment. So I tell myself thistime I do something good for myking to pay him back for all thattrouble

He was knikhted by Queen ElizabethII in 1979 and died in 1984.

B ECAUSE MY TIME on the island wasshort, I skipped the afternoonceremonies to make an impromptu bat-tlefield tour with my new friend, MickKranas. I wanted to find the bivouac areaI had occupied early in 1944. I shouldmake it clear that I am a "veteran" ofGuadalcanal only in the sense that I wasthere a brief time a year after the fightingwas over. As a newly promoted captain, Iwas the Survey and Reconnaissance officerof the Engineer Company of the 5th FieldDepot, then in the Russell Islands to thenorth of Guadalcanal, getting ready tostage out for re-occupation of Guam. Afield depot was the forerunner of what istoday a force service support group.

We were to provide shore party troopsfor the operation andl was sent down todo liaison successively with the 4th Ma-rines, the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade,and the HI Amphibious Corps. My firstcamp was a cluster of tents in a coconutgrove close to the water's edge and in thelee of a beachedJapanese transport. It hadbeen an unlovely camp, marked by mud,rats, land crabs, and malarj. The placewas called Doma Cove.

M ICK KRANAS KNEW where thebeached ships were, near the villageof Bonege, which I did not remember byname. The location looked right. The rust-ed remnants of a ship were there, theHirokawa Maru. The rust was the peculiarbright red-orange of the tropics and thehulk was shapeless. Bits and pieces of ithad gone off to salvage. Hulks in shallowwaters attract fish and this was a goodplace for snorkeling and diving. A fairnumber of swimmers were in the water oron the beach having a good time. Therewas the adjacent coconut grove, betweenthe shore line and the coast road. Theywere the tall coconut palms I remembered,not the short-trunked coconuts of Malayanorigin that are now being planted. Butsomething about the site was not quiteright.

Coastwatchers were the best early warn-ing system for both ships and bomberscoming down "the Slot." On 12 Novem-ber 1942 both they and scout planespicked up a large Japanese naval task forceconverging on Guadalcanal. Radio inter-cepts identified major combatant ele-ments of two carriers, two battleships, andfour cruisers. Shortly after midnight,RAdm DanielJ.Callaghan with five cruis-

ers and eight destroyers, intercepted thebombardment group, headed by the bat-tleships Hiei and Kiroshima and escortedby a light cruiser and 14 destroyers, nearSavo Island In a battle fought at shortrange, the flagship San Francisco was badlydamaged and Adm Callaghan killedRAdm Norman Scott in the light anti-aircraft cruiser Atlanta (CL 104) was alsokilled and his ship sunk. Three Japanesedestroyers were sent to the bottom andfour others damaged The Hiei, hit manytimes but still operational, fell back, lead-ing away the bombardment force. On theAmerican side, in addition to the loss ofthe Atlanta, the Juneau (CL 52) and fourdestroyers were sunk. When daylightcame, fighters and bombers from Guadal-canal found the crippled Hiei and con-tinued her wounding until the Japanesewere forced to scuttle the helpless hulk.

Behind all this aJapanese troop convoylifting the bulk of the 38th Division, em-barked in 11 transports, was bearing downon Guadalcanal. The bombers fromGuadalcanal reinforced with Army AirForce B-17s from the New Hebrides wentafter the transports and got them one byone. Seven were sunk.

The battleships Washington (BB 56)and South Dakota (BB 55) had been sentup to out-gun the Japanese battleshipsand cruisers. In another night action onthe 14th, the two American battleshiswere badly damaged and three destroyerswere sunk, but the Kiroshima went downalong with a Japanese destroyer and theJapanese pulled back.

The four remaining transports, withfour destroyers in escort, kept boringthrough. The transports were sacrz.flcedrunning up on the beach, to dischargetheir cargo of 10,000 reinforcing troops.

W E WENT A LITFLE further west onthe road and found a small blue-painted sign saying "Doma Plantation."There was a plantation house, a low ram-bling bungalow. A bit of a distance outin the water was a second rusting hulk. Mytourist map told me it was the KinugawaMaru. How it drifted away from the beach,I don't know, but this must have been thesite of my camp. A knock on the planta-tion house door produced no results. Theoccupants were probably in Honiara forthe celebration. The one sign of life wasa pig in a pen.

The pig reminded me that in these


to reinforce. In the morning, 800 deadJapanese were counted on the ridge.

There is a small, white, triangular mar-ker, erected in 1967, on the ridge. Closeto it was a mess tent erected by Maj Bar-row's Marines. A Mess Night on the ridgewas planned for that night.

M Y EXCUSE, if not my reason, for be-ing in the Assistant Commandant'sparty was that I was the historical consul-tant for a videotape he was to make. Fromhalf a world away it had been decided thatEdson's Ridge would be a good place fora part of the narration. The video crew,from Quantico and tightly bound to thescript, was plagued by the whistling windcoming across the ridge and the over-bright noonday tropical sun comingstraight down. Gen Dailey patiently readand re-read the words of the script thatcame up on the teleprompter.

There were more ceremonies that after-noon, including the re-dedication of theSolomon Islands Campaign Memorial andof the Vouza statue near the Police Head-quarters (and adjacent to Task ForceGuadalcanal's tent camp) in Honiara.

Taken to the Division's makeshift hospi-tal by Clemens, Vouza was not expectedto survive the wounds received during hiscaptivity, but in 12 days he was back toduty. The 2d Raider Battalion, underLtCol Evans F Carlson, of Makin Islandfame, landed at Aola Bay, 40 miles eastofLunga, on 4 Novembe, Vandegrift senthim on a long march, going completelyaroundtheperimeter Vouza was assignedto Carlson as a guide. Car/son stayed inthe jungle until 4 December; havingmarched 150 miles, fought a dozen ac-tions, and killed perhaps 500 Japanese.

Vouza, when asked some time laterabout his survival of his capture and hisextraordinary services as a scout, said.

I remember my training in thepolice, and how they tell me al-ways to be faithful to my king. Ithink about how naughty I waswhen I first joined the police andhow much trouble I causegovernment. So I tell myself thistime I do something good for myking to pay him back for all thattrouble

He was knighted by Queen ElizabethII in 1979 and died in 1984.

B ECAUSE MY TIME on the island wasshort, I skipped the afternoonceremonies to make an impromptu bat-tlefield tour with my new friend, MickKranas. I wanted to find the bivouac areaI had occupied early in 1944. I shouldmake it clear that I am a "veteran" ofGuadalcanal only in the sense that I wasthere a brief time a year after the fightingwas over. As a newly promoted captain, Iwas the Survey and Reconnaissance officerof the Engineer Company of the 5th FieldDepot, then in the Russell Islands to thenorth of Guadalcanal, getting ready tostage out for re-occupation of Guam. Afield depot was the forerunner of what istoday a force service support group.

We were to provide shore party troopsfor the operation andi was sent down todo liaison successively with the 4th Ma-rines, the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade,and the III Amphibious Corps. My firstcamp was a cluster of tents in a coconutgrove close to the water's edge and in thelee of a beachedJapanese transport. It hadbeen an unlovely camp, marked by mud,rats, land crabs, and malarii. The placewas called Doma Cove.

M ICK KRANAS KNEW where thebeached ships were, near the villageof Bonege, which I did not remember byname. The location looked right. The rust-ed remnants of a ship were there, theHirokawa Maru. The rust was the peculiarbright red-orange of the tropics and thehulk was shapeless. Bits and pieces of ithad gone off to salvage. Hulks in shallowwaters attract fish and this was a goodplace for snorkeling and diving. A fairnumber of swimmers were in the water oron the beach having a good time. Therewas the adjacent coconut grove, betweenthe shore line and the coast road. Theywere the tall coconut palms I remembered,not the short-trunked coconuts of Malayanorigin that are now being planted. Butsomething about the site was not quiteright.

Coastwatchers were the best early warn-ing system for both ships and bomberscoming down "the Slot." On 12 Novem-ber 1942 both they and scout planespicked up a large Japanese naval task forceconverging on Guadalcanal. Radio inter-cepts identified major combatant ele-ments of two carriers, two battleships, andfour cruisers. Shortly after midnight,RAdm DanielJ.Callaghan with five cruis-

ers and eight destroyers, intercepted thebombardment group, headed by the bat-tleshijs Hiei and Kiroshima and escortedby a light cruiser and 14 destroyers, nearSavo Island In a battle fought at shortrange, the flagshij, San Francisco was badlydamaged and Adm Callaghan killed.RAdm Norman Scott in the light anti-aircraft cruiser Atlanta (CL 104) was alsokilled and his ship sunk. Three Japanesedestroyers were sent to the bottom andfour others damaged The Hiei, hit manytimes but still operational, fell back, lead-ing away the bombardment force. On theAmerican side, in addition to the loss ofthe Atlanta, the Juneau (CL 52) and fourdestroyers were sunk. When daylightcame, fighters and bombers from Guadal-canal found the crippled Hiei and con-tinued her wounding until the Japanesewere forced to scuttle the helpless hulk.

Behind all this aJapanese troop convoylifting the bulk of the 38th Division, em-barked in 11 transports, was bearing downon Guadalcanal. The bombers fromGuadalcanal reinforced with Army AirForce B-17s from the New Hebrides wentafter the transports and got them one byone. Seven were sunk.

The battleshijs Washington (BB 56)and South Dakota (BB 55) had been sentup to out-gun the Japanese battleshipsand cruisers. In another night action onthe 14th, the two American battleshipswere badly damaged and three destroyerswere sunk, but the Kiroshima went downalong with a Japanese destroyer and theJapanese pulled back.

The four remaining transports, withfour destroyers in escort, kept boringthrough. The transports were sacrzficedrunning up on the beach, to dischargetheir cargo of 10,000 reinforcing troops.

W E WENT A LITFLE further west onthe road and found a small blue-painted sign saying "Doma Plantation."There was a plantation house, a low ram-bling bungalow. A bit of a distance outin the water was a second rusting hulk. Mytourist map told me it was the KinugawaMaru. How it drifted away from the beach,I don't know, but this must have been thesite of my camp. A knock on the planta-tion house door produced no results. Theoccupants were probably in Honiara forthe celebration. The one sign of life wasa pig in a pen.

The pig reminded me that in these


same coconut groves we would hunt thepigs that had gone wild W/e would parkin a eep and when we heardapigforag-ingfor coconuts among the fallen fronds,we would turn on the jeep headlghts andshoot the dazzledpig with an M-1 carbine.

An alternative, although I never hunt-ed them myself were the cattle, left totheir own devices by the departed plan-tation managers. In those times there wasalways a Marine who knew how to dressout the carcass ofapig or what was hope-fully a steer. The pig we would barbecueover an open fire, basting with a saucemade of canned tomatoes, dried onions,vinegar, and sugar. The result was edibleand at least a change from the fatty mut-ton that came up from Australia and NewZealand A steer would be trussed up toan A-frame or hoisted by the winch of atow truck, and then cut into steaks, op-timistically all of it. Each member of acompany would get a pound-or-so gobbetof raw red meat and could do with it whathe wished

After visiting Doma Cove we continuednorthwest along the coast road towardCape Esperance, stopping en route at theVilu War Museum, an outdoor display ina coconut grove of the detritus of war. Im-

pressive was the number of recoveredcrashed aircraft, among them the remainsof an F4F Wildcat, SBD Dauntless, P-38Lightning, and F4U Corsair; and of aJapanese Zero fighter and Betty two-engined bomber. The aluminum skins ofthe Japanese aircraft were much thinnerthan those of the American planes, andstill much brighter, just as they had been50 years ago.

American aluminum, in whatever thealloy, was a dullish gray; Japanese alumi-num was bright and silvery which madeit much sought after by the Marines andothers in the manufacture of souvenirjewelry, especially snap-on watch bands.Some of the jewelry, laboriously cut, filedand polished with whatever tools were athand mountedsea shells, with the brown-and-green "cat's eye" being in particulardemand Expended brass shell casingswere also a favorite source of material forthe handicrafters, yielding such things asash trays and humidors.

W E S1DPPED SHORT of Cape Esper-ance. The sun was behind it andthe serrated edges of the mountain spinethat forms the cape had an eerie, un-settling look.

In December 1942, Vandegrift and the1st Marine Division departed for Austra-lia. The US. 25th Division began to ar-rive. At the beginning of the New Year;Gen Patch 'sforce was designated the XIVCorps. For a brief time XIV Corps hadthree divisions: the Americal, the 25th,and the 2d Marine; some 50,000 troopswith whom to fight the Japanese remnantestimated, with some exaggeration, at25,000. Patch began his final drive on 22January 1943, by which time all the 2dMarine Division had left, except the new-ly arrived 6th Marines.

US. Army elements closed on Cape Es-perance on 9 February but the Japanesewere gone. In a bit of tactical wizardry,LtGen Haruyoshi Hyakutake had begunhis evacuation on 1 February and complet-edit on the 8th, taking himself and some13,000 men off the island to live to fightthe Americans another day.

Mick Kranas turned the car around andwe headed east, through clogged traffic,toward what had been the left flank, look-ing inland, of Vandegrift's originalperimeter. There was one more site I want-ed to see and that was Red Beach, wherethe 1st Marine Division had first landed.At one end there was a heap of red-


Joining 1st Marine Division commander MayGen Charles W"il-helm, far right, at the 8 August dedication of the RaidersMemorial adyicent to Henderson Field are veterans of the

Guadalcanal campaign and coastwatc her Maj Martin Clemens,to the left of Gen Wilhelm. The memorial features a bas reliefbased on Col Donald Dickson "Night Attack, Edson 's Ridge."

.c..

same coconut groves we would hunt thepigs that had gone wild W"e would parkin a'eep and when we heardapigforag-ing for coconuts among the fallen fronds,we would turn on the jeep headlights andshoot the dazzled pig with an M-1 carbine.

An alternative, although I never hunt-ed them myself were the cattle, left totheir own devices by the departed plan-tation managers. In those times there wasalways a Marine who knew how to dressout the carcass ofapig or what was hope-fully a steer The pig we would barbecueover an open fire, basting with a saucemade of canned tomatoes, dried onions,vinegar and sugar The result was edibleand at least a change from the fatty mut-ton that came up from Australia and NewZealand A steer would be trussed up toan A-frame or hoisted by the winch of atow truck, and then cut into steaks, op-timistically all of it. Each member of acompany would get a pound-or-so gobbetof raw red meat and could do with it whathe wished

After visiting Doma Cove we continuednorthwest along the coast road towardCape Esperance, stopping en route at theVilu War Museum, an outdoor display ina coconut grove of the detritus of war. Im-

pressive was the number of recoveredcrashed aircraft, among them the remainsof an F4F Wildcat, SBD Dauntless, P-38Lightning, and F4U Corsair; and of aJapanese Zero fighter and Betty two-engined bomber. The aluminum skins ofthe Japanese aircraft were much thinnerthan those of the American planes, andstill much brighter, just as they had been50 years ago.

American aluminum, in whatever thealloy, was a dullish gray; Japanese alumi-num was bright and silvery which madeit much sought after by the Marines andothers in the manufacture of souvenirjewelry, especially snap-on watch bands.Some of the jewelry, laboriously cut, filedand polished with whatever tools were athand mounted sea shells, with the brown-and-green "cat's eye" being in particulardemand Expended brass shell casingswere also a favorite source of material forthe handicrafters, yielding such things asash trays and humidors.

W E S1DPPED SHORT of Cape Esper-ance. The sun was behind it andthe serrated edges of the mountain spinethat forms the cape had an eerie, un-settling look.

In December 1942, Vandegrift and the1st Marine Division departed for Austra-lia. The US. 25th Division began to ar-rive. At the beginning of the New Year,Gen Patch cforce was designated the XIVCorps. For a brief time XIV Corps hadthree divisions: the Americal, the 25th,and the 2d Marine; some 50,000 troopswith whom to fight the Japanese remnantestimated with some exaggeration, at25,000. Patch began his final drive on 22January 1943, by which time all the 2dMarine Division had left, except the new-ly arrived 6th Marines.

US. Army elements closed on Cape Es-perance on 9 February but the Japanesewere gone. In a bit of tactical wizardry,LtGen Haruyoshi Hyakutake had begunhis evacuation on 1 February and complet-edit on the 8th, taking himself andsome13,000 men off the island to live to fightthe Americans another day.

Mick Kranas turned the car around andwe headed east, through clogged traffic,toward what had been the left flank, look-ing inland, of Vandegrift's originalperimeter. There was one more site I want-ed to see and that was Red Beach, wherethe 1st Marine Division had first landed.At one end there was a heap of red-


Joining 1st Marine Division commander MajGen Charles W7il-helm, far right, at the 8 August dedication of the RaidersMemorial adj'icent to Henderson Field are veterans of the

Guadalcanal campaign and coastwatcher Maj Martin Clemens,to the left of Gen Wilhelm. The memorial features a bas reliefbased on Co/Donald Dickson's "Night Attack, Edson c Ridge."

orange-rusted machinery that had beenbull-dozed or dropped into a pile. Other-wise, the beach, with its edging of coco-nut palms and narrow strand of coral sand,had returned almost to its virgin state. Twoor three other visitors were poking about.We looked at each other self-consciously.

There was no opposition to the mainlanding on Guadalcanal that began at0910, 7 August 1942, across Red Beach,five miles east ofLunga Point. Col LeRoyP Hunt's 5th Marines came ashore first,followed an hour later by Col Clifton B.Cates 1st Marines. There were two air raidsthat afternoon and the unloading of sup-plies across the beach was chaotic. Nightfound the Marines holding a line alongthe Tenaru, or what they thought was theTenaru. Their maps were wrong, it was theIlu.

Mick Kranas and I had the sameproblem, sorting out the Tenaru and theIlu from among the channels that crawledthrough the marshy ground. "AlligatorCreek," though, was clearly marked witha sign at the side

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