"7 Things You Didn't Know About Guadalcanal" Topic

"The Guadalcanal campaign was fought from August of 1942 until February of 1943. During those seven months 60,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers killed about 20,000 of the 31,000 Japanese troops on the island.

The main objective of the fighting was a tiny airstrip that the Japanese were building at the western end of Guadalcanal, a speck of land in the Solomon Islands. The airstrip, later named Henderson Field, would become an important launching point for Allied air attacks during the Pacific island hopping campaign.

Here are 7 interesting facts about the battle:…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Well, there was one thing I didn't know about, the Medal of Honor. Otherwise no amazing revelations.

I even knew about the CG MoH, but I believe there was another awarded in the Atlantic.

My Dad was drafted in April 1941 at the age of 31 and eventually wound up in the Americal Division. The division arrived on Guadalcanal in November of 1942 and took part in the heavy combat around Mt Austen.

He rarely spoke of his experiences but on one occasion I pestered him into telling us about the fighting. I remember him saying:

The Japanese would get close to their lines at night and yell obscenities in crude English to which the GI's would answer back with more obscenities AND bursts of fire and grenades. This must have happened when they were inexperienced and new to the action.

One of their CO's gave a lecture on the troop transport on the way over about how ineffective and weak the Japanese rifle was compared to US rifles. This same officer was later killed around Mt Austen by a sniper using an Arisaka rifle.

Dad talked about their being pinned down in front of a bunker and how the MG slugs kicked up dust around their heads and faces. He said the bunkers were so well concealed that they couldn't detect their locations

His best friend was KIA in a fox hole next to him during a night of heavy artillery fire. He didn't know it had happened until the next morning when it got light enough to see.

Being bombed and shelled by Japanese air and naval when they were camped around Henderson Field. Also saw the flashes and sounds of nightly battles between US and Japanese ships in Ironbottom Sound.

Watching a group of new replacements arrive and being inspected by officers. He said they were almost 100% rejected due to being either too old, disabled or crippled. I wonder how in the world they managed to get that far before being noticed?

My Dad was as unlikely soldier material as there was. He was just a simple immigrants son who's main pursuits when drafted were his car, drinking beer with his buddies and dating my Mom. Mom often said if it hadn't of been for WWII my brother and I wouldn't of been here because he was in no hurry to get married until the war took him far away and made him realize what was really important.

No, Signalman First Class Douglas Munro was the only Coast Guard holder of the Medal of Honor. Of interest there was no specific design for a Coast Guard Medal of Honor so he was awarded the Navy version, posthumously of course. In 1963 a Coast Guard version of the Medal of Honor was finally authorized.

Quite interesting memories my friend!.

Thanks for share!!

Amicalement
Armand

I didn't know we used mortars to engage and drive off Japanese navy ships. Were mortars used in any other shore to sea engagement? And flipping the question, are there ships that carry mortars?