The Battle forGuadalcanal and the

Solomon lslands

By Walter Hunter

THE BATTLE FOR GUADALCANAL AND THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

07 AUG UST 1942 _ T5 IVIAY 1944

INTRODUCTION:

The Battle for Guadalcanal and the Solomon lslands was the firstoffensive ground and sea action against the Empire of Japan duringWorld War Two. The Japanese lVilitary had decisively defeated - andoccupied - territories over the South and West Pacific - including thePhilippines, Malaysia, and New Guinea. With the occupation of the tinyunknown island of Guadalcanal, the Japanese threatened Australia! ltwas time to make a stand. The First Marine Division, the First MarineAir Wing, as-well-as, elements of the United States Navy and the UnitedStates Army, and the Army Air Force began to prepare.

The following is an insignificant account of the action surroundingHenderson Field on the lsland of Guadalcanal during the latter half of theBattle for Guadalcanal and the Occupation of the Solomon lslands as

recalled by a Nineteen Year Old Private First Class lVlarine during his nearlytwo-year experience in forward positions on Guadalcanal, Bougainville andwith New Zealand Troops on Green lsland.

PRE ENLISTTVIENT:

Walter, and his younger Brother, grew up in a small suburb of Lincoln,Nebraska without a lVlother or Father. The boys lived with their agingand nearly blind Grandmother. Both boys were good students -theirschool and community inspired them. Walter graduated from HighSchool in a class of thirty-two students. His very good friends includedfive boys in the class of 1940.

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After High School Graduation, Walter was working as an ApprenticeDental Technician and was hoping to become a qualified DentalTechnician over the next year. He owned a 1938 Ford V 8 convertible,and had a girl friend. For this post-depression boy - life was good.

On 07 December L941The Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor andseveral million American boys knew that they would serve as a memberof the United States Military. The only questions were: Which?Where? When?

Walter and his five of his H.S. friends all entered Military Service during1942. Walter enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in April,1947.He reported for duty in Des Moines, lowa. After his PhysicalExamination he traveled to San Diego, California for Basic Training.

LEARNING TO BE A MAR]NE:

Boot Training for the Marine Drill lnstructors was a serious anddaunting task. These almost super human beings were expected toproduce a true miracle - "lVlAKE MARINES FROM AIVIERICAN BOYS".The impossible became the possible, as sixty-five American Boys werecongratulated as Proud lVlarines on the Parade Grounds at the SanDiego Marine Base in July, 1942.

Basic Training was followed by combat training as a Marine Riflemanand later IVlarine Specialty Training. Walter was trained as a FieldTelephone Man and looked forward to be assigned to a combat unitsomewhere overseas.

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After several months of routine guard duty on Coronado lsland [A Navallnstallation across the bay from the City of San Diegol. Walter, alongwith several thousand other Marines, was ordered to board a fast shipheaded for the South Pacific. The ship made port at the FrenchProvence of New Caledonia in December, L942.

HENDERSON FIELD:

Walter was transported to a remote camp to await further orders.Orders arrived the next morning when Walter and 23 other Marinesboarded a DC 3 [a two engine plane] and headed north. A few hourslater the plane landed at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. The pilotturned off one engine and twenty four inexperienced Marines jumpedout - a few sick or wounded Marines were loaded aboard and the planeturned around and took off.

Soon a Marine Corporal showed up and escorted the arrivals towardthe opposite end of the rough and bomb scarred runway to anencampment. Each new arrival learned his place as part of a Marineunit called Fighter Command. [Fighter Command was the forward unitof Marine/Navy lntelligencel. Fighter Command was physically locatedin a dirt and sand bag covered bunker near the Lunga River - some fivehundred yards from Henderson Field.

Walter learned that he would be assigned along with three otherlVlarine Telephone Men to a Communication Post on Pagoda Hill nearHenderson Field. The CP consisted to a twelve line switchboard in asand bag/coconut log covered Bunker. Their assignment was clear:

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Keep all communication lines open - repairing and/or replacing asappropriate. [Most lines were on the ground and not protected!]Sounded easy, but with daily bombs, shells, and motor traffic a

daunting twenty-four hour task. On the other hand the location of thisCP offered a "best seat" to witness the on-going Air Battle forGuadalcanal and the Iarger Sea Battle for the Solomon lslands. Beingattached to Fighter Command provided more information, than mostenlisted Marines could expect, however, PFCs, were not equipped todeal with Marine or Naval intelligence.

PRELIIVIINARY:

The war in the Pacific was nearly nine months old when the Marineslanded on the shores of Guadalcanal and captured Henderson Field.The Allied Forces had scored a decisive victory in the Battle of the CoralSea, and in April, 1942 the United States Army Airforce actually flewsixteen B 25 Bombers from the deck of the Carrier Hornet to raidTokyo, Japan - A morale raiser for the Allies and a sobering reminder tothe Japanese.

The American Navy had also engaged the Japanese Navy, under thecommand of Admiral Yamamoto, in the epic Battle of Midway lsland.The Battle of Midway lsland was the turning point in the Pacific War.

During the summer of L942 the Japanese had occupied Guadalcanalunder the noses of Australian Coast Watchers located on several of theSolomon lslands. The Allied Forces responded on August,T by landingelements of the First Marine Division on the shores of Guadalcanal.Although the Marines quickly occupied Henderson Field the real andsignificant Naval Battles and Land Battles were days or weeks ahead.

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The Japanese Navy proved superior in the early encounters nearGuadalcanal. The Naval Battle of Savo lsland progressed over severaldays and nights, both Navies suffered heavy losses of ships and planes -and thousands of casualties. Finally, both Navies retired, Ieaving someten thousand Marines stranded on the Guadalcanal without adequatesupplies or hope of being resupplied.

During the days and weeks that followed the Japanese confidentlylanded more combat troops on the island and attempted to drive theisolated Marines off the island. The Battles of the Tenaru River, BloodyRidge, and Matnikau River followed with over whelming Japaneselosses - and deep surprise for the Japanese Military. The Marines wereable to adapt their fighting tactics and, their defensive positions so-as-to kill thousands of charging Japanese soldiers. IMore than 20,000Japanese soldiers were killed in these frontal attacks. Counting thesailors and airmen killed the Japanese lost more than 30,000 military atsea and on the lsland of Guadalcanal]

Most importantly, the Empire of Japan lost ships, planes andexperienced air crews that were not replaceable. The war in the Pacificwas not won, nor was the Empire of Japan defeated at Guadalcanal.Walter was destined to witness the next phase and end of theGuadalcanal conflict - and eventually the continued Battle for theSolomon lslands over the next twenty-one months.

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HENDERSON FIELD

Henderson Field was named after Major Lofton Henderson, the firstMarine Pilot to perish during the Battle for Midway. All young Marinesand Sailors respected the battle scared ground upon which this short2,000 foot landing strip occupied.

Since t,he Guadalcanal air operations combined Navy, Marine and ArmyAir Force planes, the Henderson Field Air Operations became known asthe Cactus Air Force. Technically Fighter Command was in charge - butduring the Solomon lsland Operations, there was Iittle differencebetween warriors.

From the vantage point of Pagoda Hill, days and nights on Guadalcanalmerged with almost routine daily - and nightly - arrivals of Japanesebombers. Sometimes low enough for Walter to see the pilot andmachine gunners. Walter frequently thought about waving as theypassed over or along the runway - his Thirty Caliber Rifle was almostuseless against low flying aircraft.

When bombs destroyed a section of the runway or a portion of a taxiway the Construction Crews [Seabees] quickly repaired the damage.Bombs dropping off target were reminders of Japanese determinationto recover this valuable position they had lost to the First DivisionIVlarines. Finally in Februa ry, !943 the Japanese decided to pull theirtroops off the island so as to reinforce their positions further north.

ln April, t943 the Allied Command learned that the SupremeCommander of the Japanese IVlilitary, Admiral lsoroko Yamamotowould be flying to the lsland of Bougainville some five hundred miles

7

North of Henderson Field. Neither the Navy nor the IVlarines possessedaircraft capable of intercepting the Admiral's flight at that distance.

The Army's P 38 was selected as the best plane to intercept and shootdown the Admiral's plane. With careful planning and preparation.Fifteen Army Air Force P 38 pilots were selected for this high priorityassignment. On the 18th day of April fourteen P 38s took off fromGuadalbanal and shot down the Admiral's plane over SouthernBougainville. His plane is now a difficult tourist site in the heavy junglesof the Bougainville Rainforest.

REST AN D RELAXATION:

ln April, L943 Walter, and most of the enlisted members attached toFighter Command, were sent by slow ship to Auckland, New Zealand.These tired and somewhat weakened IVlarines found the temperateclimate of New Zealand just like their home in the States. Walterbought a cheap set of golf clubs and played golf every day and enjoyedsteak and eggs in downtown Auckland almost every evening. Walterwas promoted to Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps.

Six weeks later Walter returned to Guadalcanal for training inpreparation for the Bougainville Operation. The landing on Bougainvillewas scheduled for November, L943. Walter and other members ofFighter Command landed on the shores of Bougainville on theafternoon of 01 Novemb er 1943.

With only minor small arms fire, and some lookout for snipers, FighterCommand set up communications a few hundred yards from the beach.Bougainville was a swamp with little dry land between the streams ofwater running down from the volcanic mountains.

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Walter, along with other Marines, dug "T" and "+" shaped Foxholes forprotection against shells and bombs. Most Marines slept in thesefoxholes during their first month on Bougainville. Failure to use thissimple precaution resulted in the only deaths experienced by themembers of Fighter Command during Walter's short stay onBougainville. The laying and maintenance of wire communications wasmore difficult on Bougainville due to the dense jungle and theextremely wet conditions. The Navy Construction Battalion [Seabees]soon prepared a short air strip and the extension of Cactus Airforce wasin operation.

Again, bombings and more shelling caused damage and some injuriesand death. [The little temporary cemetery grew incrementally as areminded of a hidden enemy.l One evening a large Amo dump was hitresulting in a large number of deaths and injuries for one battalion ofthe third Marine Division.

Bougainville Air Operations increased the pressure on the JapaneseBases - especially on the lsland of Truk - the major Japanese MilitaryBase in the Southwest Pacific. Walter and elements of FighterCommand left Bougainville in December to prepare for the finallyVictory for the Solomon lslands.

THE THIRD NEW ZEALAND DIVISION AND THE GREEN ISLANDS:

Returning to Guadalcanal, elements of Fighter Command learned thatthey would accompany the Third New Zealand Division in theirassignment to land and occupy a small Atoll called Green lsland. Greenlsland was used by the Japanese as a stop for their barge re-supplyroute to the Solomon lslands. The landing was scheduled for the l-5thday of Februa ry L944.

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The invasion force embarked for Green lsland via a number of 160 footlong ships, called "Landing Ship lnfantry "[LSl]. The Landing wasuneventful, with the exception of one big surprise! As the Marines ofFighter Command came ashore they were greeted by a group of NewZealand Soldiers relaxing over Crumpets and Tea. [After Tea, the NewZealand Troops disappeared deeper into the island and within a weekhad killed the several hundred Japanese Military occupying the lsland.

Again the Seabees prepared a working Air Strip, and Fighter Commandbecame operational - Green lsland became an "unsinkable Carrier"Walter left Green lsland in lVlay, L944 to return to the States for furtherTraining. This time to Master Electronics and Maintenance of Air CraftAvionics! After a thirty day leave, Walter reported to Cherry Point,North Carolina. Walter was promoted to Sergeant U. S. lVlarine Corps inJune, L944.

FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES THE BATTLE FOR THE SOLOIVIONISLANDS WAS OVER _ THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN WOULD CONTINUE TOFIGHT A DEFENSIVE BATTLE UNTIL THE VERY END. THE WORST WASYET TO COVIE FOR TH E U N ITED STATES IVIARIN ES.

Walter Hunter, December 2019

A POST SCRIPT: ln November 1945 Walter was discharged from active duty. Hereturned to Lincoln, Nebraska; 1l enrolled as a Science Major at NebraskanUniversity;21graduated in three years; 3l accepted a position teaching H.S.Physics and lVlathematics; 4l returned the University of Nebraska; 5; completed a

Master's Degree; 6] continued to teach in the sciences; 7l war recalled him toactive duty with the Marines to teach Electronics to Marines and Sailors duringthe Korean ConflicU 8] completed three Research Projects at Argonne NationalLaboratory; 9l Joined the Writing Team for the Chemical Bond Approach Project;101 completed a Doctoral Degree from the University of Colorado; 111 served tenyears as an Academic Dean at Meramec Community College; 12][chaired the teamresponsible for the White Paper, "Charting the future for the College of theBahamas"; 13] accepted a tenured professorship at the University of Missouri; 14]chaired 65 Doctoral Studies; 151 completed 165 Project Evaluations; 161 served a

the director for Columbia College at the Orlando Naval Station; and 17) retired tolive in Fort Collins, Colorado; 18] now Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri.Walter is 98 years old on 19 Februa ry 2020.

OF THE FIVE BOYS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1940. TWO WERE KILLED IN ACTION!AT THIS DATE, WALTER IS THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF THE CLASS OF 1940.

AND, MOST NOTEWORTHY WALTER HAS BEEN MARRIED TO IRENE FOR 73 YEARS, HAVING METIRENE ON THE 15TH DAY OF FEBUARY 1,946. NOW, THREE DAUGHTERS, SEVENGRANDCHILDREN, SEVEN GREAT GRANDCHILDREN... WALTER BELIEVES HIS ENLISTIVIENT IN THEN4ARINE CORPS WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECISION HE EVER IVIADEI

AS A POINT OF PRIDE, ALL THREE OF WALTER AND IRENE'S DAUGHTERS HOLD AN ADVANCEDACADEIVIIC DEGREE AND A PROFESSIONAL CAREER. FURTHER, ALL SEVEN OF THEIR GRANDCHILDREN HOLD AN ACADE]VIIC DEGREE, THREE HOLD PROFESSIONAL IVIEDICAL DEGREES ANDoNE A PHYSTCS/IV|ATH DOCTORATE.

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