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Posted on 10/25/2009 4:49:12 AM PDT by rellimpank
It's hard to envision -- or, for the dwindling few, to remember -- what the world looked like on Oct. 26, 1942, when a few thousand U.S. Marines stood essentially stranded on the God-forsaken jungle island of Guadalcanal, placed like a speed bump at the end of the long blue-water slot between New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, the most likely route for the Japanese Navy to take if they hoped to reach Australia.
On Guadalcanal, the Marines struggled to complete an airfield. Japanese Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto knew what that meant. No effort would be spared to dislodge these upstart Yanks. Before long, relentless Japanese counterattacks had driven supporting U.S. Navy vessels from inshore waters. The Marines were on their own.
As Platoon Sgt. Mitchell Paige and his 33 riflemen set about carefully placing their four water-cooled .30-caliber Brownings, manning their section of the thin khaki line that was expected to defend Henderson Field against the assault everyone expected on the night of Oct. 25, 1942, it's unlikely anyone thought they were about to provide the definitive answer to what had previously been a mainly theoretical question: How many able-bodied U.S. Marines does it take to hold a hill against a desperate attacking force of 2,000?
Nor did the commanders of the mighty Japanese Army, who had swept all before them for decades -- OK, they decided not to push Marshall Zhukov any further in Manchuria -- expect their advance to be halted on some God-forsaken jungle ridge manned by one thin line of Yanks in khaki in October 1942
(Excerpt) Read more at lvrj.com ...
“the heroism of this caliber can never happen again.”
Sure it can...and does. Read Michael Yon’s dispatches, especially the “Gates of Fire” dispatch.
We Were Soldiers seemed a little sappy. That scene with the photographer was Corny. But Sam Elloit Sargent Major was very good. It could have been better, but at least it wasnt That Oliver Stone trash” Platoon”
And it is a trend to humanize our enemies, even those whose brutal treatment of captured Americans, like “Letter from Iwo Jima”.The japs may have been brave, but they were heartless, Like the NVA.
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Great article..I will send it to lots of marines I know.
We also should recognize that the current long war we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan has had many heroic fights, where american’s have once again proved that they know how to fight against long odds. (with and without superior technical back up)..the recent incident in Afghanistan where are soldiers stood against 500 or more Taliban and had no artiliary of air support for many hours, was example of heroism. The fictional phrase..”where do we get men like these”
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At Parris Island, we learned all about these heros. To learn more, read the book “Marine -the life of Chesty Puller”. Puller commanded 1/7 and had another great hero machine gunner, “Manila John” Basilone. On the night of October 24, Puller’s undermanned battalion fought off a Japanese division. Basilone was in charge of several machine guns, on low ground. The guns had to stop firing to clear the dead Japanese from the firing lanes. The water-cooled guns got so hot that gunners were urinating in the jackets.
The mortars fired until they were red hot; by morning, only the “top of the tube projected from the mud”. The 11th artillery, commanded by Pedro del Valle, fired his 105’s until they “were white hot at the muzzles”.
Both Paige and basilone were awarded the Medal of Honor; Puller won another Navy Cross.
Thanks for the link!
The Marines’ performance at Guadalcanal is even more admirable given that the first among them landed w/ bolt-action Springfield ‘03 rifles.
It's looking that way.
We gave away our advantages, one by one, based on our trust in the good will of man. Till it came down to one Marine.
Shall we have to cut it that close, again?
If Obama has his way, we will, and we'll lose to the combined forces of Red and Green. Communism and militant Islam. (Then they'll turn on each other of course).
My paternal Uncle was also Navy, Naval Armed Guard on the Liberty ship "George Rogers Clark,",sunk by U-boat in the Greenland sea in November of '42. He was picked up by a British armed trawler, and only lost a couple of toes to frostbite. He never spoke of any of it. I never even knew anything other than he'd been in the Navy and had frostbitten toes. Didn't know about the couple of days in a liferaft watching the civilian captain and mate motor off towards Iceland ... never to be seen or heard from again.
Dad was Army, searchlights and radar to direct them. Later training cadre, and finally sent overseas, just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. His was one of those "green units" that you read about getting massacred when the Germans attacked through the forrest. But he wasn't with them, he was in Le Harve France, getting his appendix out.
Ma is still soldiering on. She's mounted on M1A1 Abrams, M2/3 Bradly vehicles, Hummers, various trucks, and of course tripods.
JJM Browning worked very closely with Fabrique Nationale, and to some extent the M-249 and M-240 are direct decedents of the M1919 and the BAR. Here's Ma (on the left) and an M240, mounted on an Abrams.
That wasn't Gibson, it was the character he was portraying. Lt. Col. (later Lt. Gen.) Hal Moore. Read his two books ("We Were Soldier's Once..." and "We are Soldiers Still") (both with reporter Joe Gallowy ). That's the way they both felt. He even went to Vietnam and met the NVA (not VC) officer who was on the other side during that battle. They returned to LZ X-Ray, in part to exorcise their demons. They even spent the night there, although that wasn't in the official plan and General Anh, now deceased, did not spend it with them. Later they went to LZ-Albany, where thing were worse, especially for the Americans, but where Moore and Galloway were not involved.
They started as old enemies, but became friends.
Ironically the Vietnamese actor, Don Duong, who played then Lt. Col. Anh got termed a National Traitor, and it was touch and go for a bit, but due to the general uproar, and the desire of the Vietnamese to improve relations, he was allowed to emigrate to the US.
At least their loggies kept them supplied with plenty of ammo. That hasn't always been the case, but our military is much better at it than almost any other. What did I read once? "Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics" or something to that effect.
Would have sh*t his panties and ran home to his Red Grandma.
You should consider a tour of duty with the Marines. We have many who performed just like Sergent Paige.
Semper Fi
An Old Man
No, I don’t think so. The one they let go was definitely the one that Upham shot in the street as he was trying to surrender again. The German even said, “Upham” as if to say, “You know me. Don’t shoot.”
The cartridge is .50 Browning Machine Gun otherwise known as .50BMG.
Shall we have to cut it that close, again?
Minus that hero's training, I shall stand until my heart no longer pumps blood.
As long as the real heros, bare their scars
and tell their sons...
there will be heros.
Being a community organizer doesn’t count.
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