Battle of Alligator Creek - Guadalcanal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- This episode will feature the important first land battle in the Guadalcanal Campaign. The Battle of Alligator Creek or the Tenaru as it was called. Arguably this was considered the first land defeat of the Japanese Army by Allied Forces.
Please remember ... Johnny Rivers USMC ... KIA here on Guadalcanal ... My father's Best Friend growing up in Pennsylvania !!! ... Thank You So Much
John "Jack" Rivers is/was my uncle.
My father-in-law, Dale Tucker, was a 17 yr old marine that took out a dozen enemy before taking a bullet in the chest. He laid on the beach for three days before being taken to a hospital in Australia. There they had to remove a lung but survived to live to the age of 76.
That's amazing Jeff, . To your family best of wishes mate from down here in Australia RIP Dale Tucker.
No disrespect intended surprised that he did not die laying on that Beach much respect to your Father-in-law.
The real hero!👍🏻🇺🇸
17 Year... just a boy. They only get children en young adults to fight.
He must have been one tough hombre,to survive that in those days...
Most of us will never have the honor of seeing this sacred battleground for ourselves. We thank you for showing it to us. Very well done.
Sacred? what are you sick?
Christian Petersen Uh, no. Why? Are you?
Agreed the gentleman truly has talent for history and explains it very well .
@@Beemer917 its sacred grounds i can understand the loss of life might have something to do with you're knee jerk reaction to this battle but this fight was the greatest victory for the freedom loving west done by a few good men with fewer supplies and no backup against a ruthless opponent who if successful would have invaded Australia and the rape murders of China would have been visited upon them good freedom loving people. It sure the hell is sacred ground and was and is a point of honor and pride to be American and especially for the Marines who truly lived up to the "always faithful" them precarious days the outcome was always up in the air one day the jarheads woke to the navy not being there. By the way not only was that the bullets and band aids it was there ride home. Long walk home to America.
@@jeremyspreston8723
Ask soldiers who were fighting, most of them will tell you that there's nothing sacred on war, death etc.
And the prase... "They died for their country" is laughable. They died because of some politicians.
My Father was in that battle, it was his first after being sent back to San Diego for retraining..His real first taste of the war came on December 7th at Pearl Harbor..He was stationed on the USS West Virginia as the Captain's escort..That was a big honor for a Marine in those days..After Guadalcanal, he went all over including New Guinea, The Marshall Is. The Philippines..All in all, he engaged the Japanese in over 150 battles throughout the Pacific...
My father is my hero, and I miss him dearly ... Cpl. John W. Holt 1st Marine ..
God bless your father for his service and thank God for bringing him home.
I remember when I was kid and I met a old man (1970?) who said he was at Guadalcanal. I was intrigued but really didn't understand. I'm reading a book from 2013 entitled "Japan 1941"; Eri Hotta. Fascinating! Almost every civilian politician was aghast at the prospect of getting into a war with the USA. The attempts to avoid it were dashed at numerous intervals. The very reason there were so many Japanese immigrants was that in general the Japanese people LOVED the USA! It would have been 'something' if your father could have read it. One more. One of the theories about why the Japanese soldiers were so prone to fight so suicidally wasn't just because of the Bushido tradition but rather due to years of famine during the thirties most Japanese men had underdeveloped brains and thus were chronically depressed. Starvation was a HUGE motivator for destruction💀
There is no way we can understand their struggle and sacrifice but we can acknowledge and remember.
GOD Bless your Father for being there when most needed. Thank you for sharing that.
God bless him. Lest we forget
I had the honor of working with and becoming very good friends with a man that landed on Guadalcanal two weeks after his. 17th birthday. He was a machine gunner with the first Marine division. He was one of the three machine gunners engaged in this battle! He was the gunner closest to the sand bar! I spent many hours listening to him. He said many times the reason he survived was the 37 mm gun that was behind him and was shooting grape shot that kept the Japanese off him when he had to reload. He was one hell of a man as that generation was known for. He died in 93 and I miss him! RIP Hiriam!!
My wife’s grandfather was at Guadalcanal, but arrived after this battle. I had the privilege of talking to him about his experiences a couple times and taking notes to have for our family to go back to and reread. He was at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, the battle of the crabs 🦀 at Pavuvu, Peleliu, and Okinawa.
Each was bad for a different reason. Guadalcanal was just survival on a shoestring. Cape Gloucester was bad for the rain and mud. Pavuvu was supposed to be R&R. Battling rotting coconuts, crabs, and rats. It was not a restful place. Peleliu was the worst battle he was in. Clearing cave by cave. Going out on patrol with ten men, coming back with two. They were under constant mortar, artillery, and sniper fire from the central mountains of the island. It was murderous. A preview of Iwo Jima, which the 1st Marine Division didn’t participate in. Okinawa was also bad, but there at least the Allies gained a foothold where they could fight from as they assaulted one set of fortifications after another.
Thanks for this view of Guadalcanal as I will likely never get to visit.
If you don’t mind me asking, what Marine unit was your wife’s grandfather part of?
@@julianhernandez9646 sound like 1st Marine division, the same unit with Eugene Sledge & Robert Leckie
Guadalcanal was a helluva battle. Our Marines were all green recruits yet thanks to their leadership & training they showed what the Marine Corp was made of & capable of doing. RIP & God bless all the Marines who fought here. 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️ 🫡 🇺🇸
The HBO series "Pacific" is great. I bought the whole box set. I highly recommend it. These Marines are my Heroes. I too served in the United States Marine 1973 to 1977. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sergeant.
As a former Marine, I've already heard stories about the "canal" - so wonderful that you could show me the actual terrain. I enjoyed it! Hats off ... and Semper Fi!
My father, Fred L. Welsh manned the 37mm anti-tank gun during the Battle of the Tenaru. He won a Silver Star on Guadalcanal for action later against the tanks that attempted to cross the sandbar at the mouth of the Matanikau River in October 23. The 37 mm was firing canister which was later declared unsuitable. Dad said that the gun was mounted up on the bank about 3 feet so the fall helped. 37mm Canister had 200 double ought buck pellets in each round. The 37 mm was fired so much that the barrel belled and was ruined. Dad told me a great deal about Guadalcanal. I believe that the incidents in the series Pacific are very true to what happened. If the same men were on that gun that were with Dad later when he won the Silver Star. A seventeen year old named Prescott would have been there along with a man named Al Lock. There was a fourth but I never heard his name. The unnamed man and Prescott were killed on Matanikau River action.
Thanks for sharing this information. Much respect to your dad. I would really would have loved speaking to him about that Matanikau engagement. I have a few pictures of that area I’m happy to share with you. I might actually have a picture of his gun and bunker.
Was your father in the 1st Special Weapons Battalion?
They didn't show the 37 MM in the Pacific Movie. That would have helped a novice like me understand how a gun like that helped turn the battle in our favor. Thanks for the story about your father. So few are left now.
Thank you for presenting this I’ve always wanted to see it as my father was there fighting as a young marine, thank god he survived to father me, a hero in my eyes as they all were
I really enjoyed this video. My Dad was involved with this battle and I have a souvenir from that battle. It is an 37 mm casing and was made into a lamp when I was a kid aboiut 60 years ago. Thanks for this video
My grandfather's cousin, LtC Edwin Pollock, was commanding an outfit in that battle. He was known as a tough old bird who could use any weapon as good as any enlisted man. This engagement established the 'no quarter, no retreat' fighting that certainly prevailed in the Solomon islands campaign.
Your grandfathers cousin is a famous Marine. Pollock was with the 1st Marines on Guadalcanal. I guess you’ve seen that cool photo of Cates and the rest of the regimental staff in October 42?
Like others on here I would like to thank you for showing this Battlefield. you did an amazing job.
Guadalcanal Island, like other islands in the Solomon Islands chain is still littered with explosive remnants of war from these famous battles. Just two weeks ago, a 105mm US projectile exploded in Hill 84 killing one instantly and another who died of his injuries last week. Two others are still recovering from their injuries at the hospital. Thanks for sharing these videos, they help us better understand areas that might still be highly contaminated with Abandoned and Unexploded Ordnance from these battles.
Great educational video for those of us who have never been to Guadalcanal, but are extremely interested in what happened there in WWII. Basically it was a total slaughter of Japanese forces, because of the suicidal stupidity of the Japanese high command. The same thing happened on the Aleutian island of Attu, where a similar force of Japanese soldiers were totally sacrificed in complete suicidal banzai charges. The incredible courage and fighting spirit of the US Marines and all other American military personnel in the Guadalcanal campaign is a testimony of the highest standards in military professionalism. The Japanese thought the Americans were inferior soldiers---- they soon learned the hard way that they were dead wrong.
Japanese were full of Sake - The American Soldiers and Marines were full of grit.
My grandfather fought in this battle before catching malaria. I've watched him looking through the window of our shared bedroom in a cold sweat late mid-late august many years loading his shotgun hollering about their coming up, at the trees in our front yard and that was the only glimpse any of us ever got. How do speak about that your grandchildren? We watch war movies and things like this to understand what it might have been like as children and grandchildren of ppl who fought in battle but to him he couldn't sit through 5 minutes of anything Hollywood put out not out of disgust but because he didn't understand why people watched these things. There are no hero's in war, no protagonists, both sides feel they are right or are just following orders.
My girlfriend's father and uncle fought together taking Guadalcanal, he contracted malaria there as well. It took many many years for him to come to some grips with what happened there, and for a long time the sight of asians kind of freaked him out. The two of them fought on a number of islands in the pacific theater. Just the stories I've heard from several people who fought in the war, especially against the Japanese were all pretty horrific.
Steven the Corpsmen were well loved then and now by the Marines. Unfortunately the Japanese would target medics. That’s the reason they never wore red crosses.
@FOAML8X This is true, I heard it from Sgt.Don Malarkey himself, as well as German medics that weren't really medics pretending to give medical attention to a wounded German soldier, with a radio phone to their ear, calling in artillery strikes. I also heard this from a man that fought with the 99th Inf.
Div. and the deal was that if they ever saw a German medic talking on a radio while attending to an injured German soldier, that he wouldn't be alive for very long. Too many times infantry men witnessed this, not in large scales, during combat.
My dad was there. I remember when I was a kid I once asked him about what he did in the war and he just said “that was almost 20 years ago. I don’t remember anything about it “. He would never talk about any of his experiences but I heard him screaming in his sleep a few times. It scared the hell out, of me as a child but now I realize how truly tortured he must have been. RIP, Dad.
Having traveled there in 2017, your presentations are outstanding and bring a comprehensive view of the battles. I cannot express how much I enjoy and appreciate your works. Thank you! Semper Fi
Adding my response to the excellent video and to the memories provided by other commentors is trivial at best, but the effort made to document the battle and the statements of witnesses and family members deserves a response. Thank you to all involved for the recording of history and for the memory of all those who served.
Dan i totally agree mate. I don't think there is a better channel out there at gaining an insight directly due to the personal / family conversations posted here . As an Australian ifind it absolutely fantastic the heroics of these men who fought for freedom are remembered / respected so fondly.
The Pride of the Marines ! One of my favorite movies. Cool to see the actual place it happened. You did a good job explaining it too. I have The Pacific on bluray also.
JOhn Garfield!
My dad who drove a landing craft during the Guadalcanal campaign told me that he saw Japanese bodies piled what seemed two stories high on the beach. And he said he felt a since of grief for the dead. Not know what battle is like, I ask him why that bothered him, to see the enemy bodies dead. I'll never forget his reply. He said, "Hey, them were some mothers little boys too. And I think he was thinking about there poor mothers back home the way he imagined his mother would feel if he had been killed.
When I look at pictures of this island from the war it is COVERED with palm trees, now there does not appear to be a single palm tree on the island. My uncle Bob fought on Edson's ridge with the raider batallion and was awarded the silver star. I wish I could see this island.
Forget where I heard this (famous words on the internet!) but after this fight Vandegrift looked at the fields of dead Japanese infantrymen and decided he had nothing to fear from the Imperial Japanese Army generals in terms of tactics or strategy; they had literally wasted an entire battalion.
That was a fantastic video. You communicated the carnage in such a sensitive, methodical and informative manner. Hard to believe that such a beautiful spot was the scene of such a firefight.
Enjoyed seeing it in "today's" eyes. Thank you so much for the video. Much appreciated.
Mike Triz threw Savo and Ironbottom Sound in there. This weekend I will film from the US War Memorial and you will get great shots of both. Just counting on the weather to be clear.
@@guadalcanal-walkingabattle5349 WHY in the world aren't they growing the coconuts...good crop. Looked productive back in the day, eh.
Scott Scouter more lucrative things around now like virgin timber. Selling it to the Chinese.
I was stationed on the USS Guadalcanal w 8th Marines. I've heard the stories, and we learned the history, but I never really understood the nuances of the skirmishes and the overall battles that these guys endured. It's truly breathtaking how ferocious and herioc these WW II era Marines were. Great job w these videos... they're so amazing - Semper Fi!!
God we ask you always bless and watch over our soldiers wherever they may be deployed. Please Father God keep your mighty hand around them and surround them with angels! In Jesus' name. My father was there.
Thank you for the video. I visited/explored the site while deployed to Henderson field in 2003 for Peace keeping ops. Was a humbling experience & its now great to get a better insight into the historical events.
This film puts everything in perspective. I have read about the battle but never realized how close it was to the ocean. General Vandergrift was a patient of mine years ago when I was a HM3 stationed at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He was a nice man to talk to. Very patient and did what he needed to do. Thanks for this film.
Thanks. That would have been a great opportunity to speak to him.
Great use of photos taken at the time in comparison to modern ones and Michael's drone footage gives a good overview. You have to admire how well the Marines had placed their defensive lines and machine gun emplacements. These were exactly where they were needed. At the time of the Japanese attacks, was the river able to be crossed on foot by them near the entrance and sandbar? Great vid Dave and your best so far.
The sandbar from all accounts was about the same size in the video and fully passable. They drove tanks over the same spot the next day.
The reason the 37mm anti-tank gun was so important, it was the only weapon in US service that still had cannister ammunition (really big Shotgun) available for use. Even though the gun was "obsolete", the marines continued to use it right to the end of the war, using the cannister round to clear the foliage from in front of their positions.
My readings on the Guadalcanal Campaign really came to life viewing this. Thank you for posting this. Thank you all who served in this very desperate and bloody battle. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
You guys get to the places that I have read about, and heard tales about my whole life. Fantastic. I have saved all of my great correspondence with Peter. Thanks for the video! Wonderful.
You do a wonderful job of filming the battlefield and giving a running commentary on where you are filming and what was happening in that area during the battle. I first found you on the unauthorized battles in the Pacific and started to follow you on your channel. Great work and Semper Fi
Thanks
Another great informative video, the movie's and the black and white photos out of books doesn't do the hallowed ground justice but you're videos sure do. From the jungle line of our marines to the sandbar wasn't as far as i had imagined and it would appear there silhouette against the water would've been quite easy to pick out. Almost pity the commander who had to watch his boys get mowed down by 30 calibers and Springfield rifles
I really enjoyed this video. I really like how you take the time, to not only describe the events of the battle...but to show the actual locations where each event happened. It's crazy, how much the landscape has changed since 1942. You've earned a sub sir, can't wait to see more.
My uncle served over their he was in the Marines an I thank all the vets for there service
I just found and subscribed to your channel. I was deployed to the Solomon islands as an Australian solider as part of operation RAMSI in the early 2000's. We were lucky enough to find a local who used to do battlefield tours and we threw him some money. Got a truck and he took us on a tour. We lived on Henderson airfield and Red Beach. It kind of put things in prospective. If I thought I was having a bad day I would remind myself of the hell the WW2 guys went through.
Thanks fellow GBR resident. That was most likely John Inness, a good man.
It’s fitting, but also ironic, that it is such a quiet, beautiful and peaceful creek on a lonely island once again. Semper Fi.
Many such islands in the Pacific bear this story quietly.
Land that time forgot ; it looked the same a million yrs agp
Great video...maps...photos and drone footage. I have read all the personal acounts on this battle I could find. Including photos and maps. This video really tied it all together.
Cheese Noodles did you note the ground the G company platoon counterattacked over?
@@guadalcanal-walkingabattle5349 Yes I did...the period photo from the plane about 1:37 was very good. The other period photos superimposed on the modern day photos are very much appreciate. I read as many first hand accounts as I could find. The mop up with tanks was nicely shown.
Thank you Dave... Incredible site you have... enjoyed your appearances on " the unauthorized history of the Pacific war" ....
I've read about and reread the details of this battle for years. This fine presentation of the actual spot where the battle was fought adds so much to my understanding. All these years later and so little has changed. Amazing. Thank you.
I occasionally fly an airplane from HNL to SYD and if the weather is right we fly over Guadalcanal. I can see the old Henderson Field. Someday I’ll go there. Looking at Google Earth I could see the outline of one of the Japanese sunk supply barges up the coast. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
Just rewatched the first episode of The Pacific and i think it recreates this battle super well. They even talk about schmid being blinded and you can see the destroyed amtrack in the creek. Crazy detail.
Aidan Southall yes the most accurate segment in the Pacific re Guadalcanal. Some of the Basilone segment has a few mistakes.
Guadalcanal - Walking a Battlefield Yes I can tell by some stuff when lookin at your other video where basilones actions took place. Awesome stuff man keep it up👍🏼
In the mini series "Pacific" Scmid isn't mentioned. Instead(probably to avoid copy-write issues) the name called is "Sunny". Schmid's son, Al Schmid Jr. is alive and well. However, they do mention Rivers as being killed(no copy-write issues as he was an orphan with no living relatives) little did they know that John's nephew is alive(me).
I've always wanted to see this scene. Uncle Jack was there, and now I can understand clearly what an open field of fire they had. Great effort to show the different positions, thanks!
Dave Elliott that sandbar was pretty exposed. The Japanese attacked at night to try and negate the US firepower. Didn’t seem to work for them.
Dave Elliot, you called Jack Rivers your Uncle...how are you related and why don't I know you?
bill Freedman hi Bill. Hope your well. I think Dave Elliott was referring to another Jack that was his uncle.
@@guadalcanal-walkingabattle5349 As Mom was an orphan I'm always on the lookout for missing relatives. They are popping up still...Thanks for the "heads up"!
Thank You. This was absolutely Outstanding in every facet. Its one thing to read the books, see the pics, and analyze the maps...which I have done. But its a whole other level to be put in the subjective view of the combatants and see what they saw. I literally got goosebumps (and not the good kind by any stretch) seeing what the Japanese soldier saw on the sandbar and what the Marines dug in across the creek saw. The only thing that doesnt do the entire scene justice (today) is, as you mentioned, the absence of the coconut grove which cannot be understated. This gives the video and the Marine's field of fire an unwarranted open field/Cemetery Ridge feel.....when the reality was much more claustrophobic and terrifying. Just incredible, man. Much appreciated.
This was just great! You really put us there. I am extremely thankful for this video and your whole series.
Loved the synopsis of the Battle of Alligator creek, you use of maps and the relative position of forces provided great clarity.... well done Sir.
This is the second video of yours that I have watched (the first regarding Sgt. Basilone’s position during his famous night fight) and I just want to say, thank you for them. They give a real life perspective of the battles that we learn about and study, but have very little concept of what it must have been like to fight on the terrain on which they took place.
M e dad was there with 2nd BTL. Oddly enough, he had a set of picture eerily similar to some you had shown. I came across them when he was recalled for Korea. He never went overseas as he was still fighting persisting affects of malaria he got on the canal. He went back to LeJune as a DI. Never tallked about it until we were at Chesty Puller's retirement ceremony years later. I guess the reunion and old mates along with a quantity of booze loosened tounges.
Mr Gray. My father was in the South Pacific and Italy in the Navy. He never talked about it. In my stint in the Navy as a Corpsman and Nurse, I would sometimes listen to the old Navy or Marines talk among themselves. They would talk only when a veteran of the times was there. Only they could understand the situation and feelings. The young generation had no time to listen or understand. Just like today, the military who needs help is sent to a new shrink who knows nothing about what this guy went thru. He is given pills and told to come back in 3 months.
Have been to these site before but your commentary has taught me a lot more. thanks
I love the way you explain the flow of the battle on the actual ground!! Very good description
Why am I just now finding this video?!?!? I am just a 43 year old truck driver, but I am such history nerd. I knew exactly where you were when you started recording, and that is all thanks to HBO of course. What a treat to see the real location. Thanks!
Thanks and yes they do a good rendition of the Alligator creek fight in that HBO series
Very good video. Like you said, " no frills". It was very informative and to the point. The before and after photos, the maps with the positions all bring this closer to the viewer. I too have watched the pacific series, many times. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.
Thanks. I made them for education and not entertainment.
This is hands down the most educational battlefield video that I have ever seen. When combined with the first episode of The Pacific this video and narration bring the Hollywood version to life. It further demonstrates just how authentic the production that particular sequence of the episode is.
Very very well done.
Thank you
IMHO nothing brings history to life more than meeting those involved in making it or visiting the location of an event. Since most of us, including me, will never know the experience of actually visiting Guadalcanal, this excellent presentation provides a pretty decent idea of what the island looks like today. Thank you for making and sharing. I just finished reading “Helmet For My Pillow” (also HBO’s “The Pacific”) by USMC Sgt. Robert Leckie for the second time, and this video makes that excellent war memoir come alive. This is the exact position then PFC Leckie and his USMC company were located. Incredible that apparently it hasn’t changed all that much. You can almost sense the Marines hunkered down in their foxholes, machine guns, grenades and rifles at the ready, eyes trying to pierce the blackness of night, trying to discern if a sound was a palm frond swaying in the wind, a coconut dropping to the ground or a Japanese unit massing for an attack. I’m in awe of those then very young men. Do you mind answering a question (I’m betting I’m not the only person wondering!): During all your travels and excursions on Guadalcanal do you ever worry about contracting any of the dozens of tropical diseases endemic to the area, especially perhaps malaria? Can a traveler take precautions? Thanks again for such an incredible video.
Thanks buddy. Re the malaria and other diseases. Bunch of shots. Malaria threat is mainly after hours. Dengue fever is still a risk during the day. Any cuts demand attention or you will develop jungle ulcers and infections.
Excellent video. Incredible to see the battle field today. Thank you!
Very interesting of the transposed photos before/present day views. It effectively gives a much better perspective of the battle. Good job reporting.
I was there in August 2012 with my wife. They had misidentified the river as the Tenaru but was later discovered that it was the Ilu river. The Teneru is a larger river about 2 mi. to the East of here.
As a US Marine, I loved this. Thank you!
Thanks so much for making and posting this video. Your analysis is as good as the video.
Thanks for the images. Tregaskis and his "Diary" have provided my mental images for decades. It's great to actually see it. One note, the quote at 12:23 probably came form 1 Mar Div G-3 Col. Gerald Thomas. per the "Diary" he said "We're not going to let those people lay up there all day." 1st Marines commander Col. Cates said "We've got to get them out today."
Outstanding overview of the Battle of Alligator Creek. My uncle was killed on Guadalcanal two months after this fight occurred, while returning from an outpost at Lunga Point. I have his Purple Heart, which I donated to my local military history museum, along with other items from his USMC uniform. I originally learned about this battle from watching the first episode of the HBO series, "The Pacific." The scene showing the Battle of Alligator Creek is one of the most intense fights in the whole series. There were many brave men on both sides of this conflict, as your video shows, but naturally, I'm glad that the Marines held the line. Thank you for a great video.
I have a Facebook site also by the same name. I’ve posted a few details parts on this battle. What action did your ancestor lose his life? What unit?
@@guadalcanal-walkingabattle5349 His name was Pfc. Stanley C. Rowlett, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. I have requested more records of his service and death, but have not received them as of yet. From what I have been able to gather from Google searches, I believe that he was involved with the same battle as Sgt. John Basilone during the Battle of Henderson Field.
If you send me a pm through my Guadalcanal Facebook site I will see what I can find out for you.
ROWLETT, Stanley C., Pfc., USMC. Mother, Mrs. Christine Rowlett, Route 3, Box 176, Lakeland, Fla (na) + ROWLETT, Stanley Curtis, 291684, CoA, 1stBn, 7thMar, 1stMarDiv, FMF, Solomon Is, October 25, 1942, killed in action . Yes this was the Battle of Henderson Field. His company manned the forward outpost, Briggs Outpost and also coffin corner at the jeep trail. My coffin corner and Briggs outpost videos cover where they were. I will have a look and see if he was part of that outpost platoon.
He was in first platoon Co A 1/7. He was part of Briggs Outpost with that platoon posted 1500 yards forward and had to get back. I have a few personal accounts from guys there.
I'm reading Guadalcanal Diary and have been studying this spot from Google Earth, it's awesome to see it from eye level. Edison's hill, Bloody Ridge is another spot to focus on.
Just saw you on WW2 TV; great stuff. My grandfather was the ADC of Americal Division on Guadalcanal and was on the island in advance of the 164th Infantry's arrival. Would love to hear more about Army operations and inter-service cooperation on the Island. Excellent videos and great depth of knowledge. Thanks.
Thanks. I have a few videos of the Army you can see. I particularly like the Charles Davis one. I’m hoping to get back on the show and discuss the USA involvement.
Very cool video. I've never been to Guadacanal but I've been to Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, PNG, Australia, ground zero in Nagasaki, Okinawa, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and iwo Jimas 50th anniversary. Also Korea and China
Colonel Ishiki was also in what is considered the first battle of World War Two...The Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
was there in 2018 - the Marine postition was elevated, dont know if u can tell from the video - the natives on the Japanese side charged a $5 'admission fee' then when i came back thru they had set up relics they had collcted - i bought Coke Bottles, bullets,a Marine dog tag, spoons & a Marine Corps emblem off a helmet - to show me the rounds were still live 1 native pried the bullet out, poured the gunpowder on a stump & put a match to it & it flared up!
Is the dog tag still legible? I bet the family of the former owner would love too see it.
I would definitely try to return it.
Great video. I like your hybrid American/aussie accent
Outstanding! As Wellington said after Waterloo, “It was a close run thing.” Or Churchill - “Long shall the great tale be told.” One of my mother’s childhood friends had a brother at Guadalcanal and he was “never the same” when he returned. Brutal stuff.
Thank you for the visual tour and info - amazing
Excellent presentation. I read somewhere regarding the American civil war that summarized one aspect of that conflict as being a situation of 17th century battlefield tactics coming head to head with new and devastating technological advances in weaponry. The Japanese warrior/military mindset at this time reminds me of that ( well trained troops led to slaughter by tradition).Other examples abound, I am sure. Maybe the concept of Elan as espoused by the French military in the invasion of Belgium and France in the initial days of ww1 as a variant of this thinking. Maybe Russia's blind hubris in Ukraine in the present day.
This is excellent! Thank you for doing this!
37mm firing canister... ouch! great footage.
Great presentation. I've seen many videos of this battle but I've never seen the actual area. Thanks
Thank you so much for posting this. Extremely well done.
The movie Bright Victory was about Al Schmidt
I read Lucky's book when I was a kid. Highly recommend it!
I like to listen to the birds and insects. It’s one of the things that remain unchanged throughout the years.
Nice shot with the drone. Usually don't get how close to the airfield this was.
Ichiki was initially surprised that the Marines were encountered there, but in any circumstance they thought they would encounter only about 200-400 defenders on that opposite bank. However the USMC numbers were close to 3,000 in prepared positions, along with the mentioned heavy caliber weapons. It was brazen and arrogant by the Japanese to continue the fight after the first wave had been repulsed.
Thanks. I was going to ask what the heck Ichiki was thinking trying to attack from what was essentially a self-inflicted choke point. Bad intel and/or underestimating the size and effectiveness of the US Marine force definitely seems to explain it.
@@yes_head One overlooked source of motivation for Ichiki may have been avenging the unsuccessful Japanese landings (destruction of Tsunehiro’ 2nd Battalion 20th Infantry Regiment) at Quinauan Point 7 months earlier in Bataan (Battle of the Points). The Japanese at the time of vastly underrated American resolve and defending a position or advancing on a trapped pocket of an inferior force beach landing. Over 900 Japanese troops were lost in Quinauan and the follow up US counter attack at Longoskawayan. As for Ichiki he may have felt he needed to surprise/uproot the USMC at Alligator point to reduce the probability of an American coordinated counterattack, or cohesive large caliber artillery could get a fix on his position.
Ichiki was wreckless. He attacked immediately, rather than waiting for proper intelligence about the US strength. His contingent only numbered around 900-1000 men, way too few to attack fixed positions with natural defenses like a river, ocean and sandy-causeway funneling his troops into kill points. He should have retreated when his first attack was repulsed, but he compounded his errors by repeat attacks into interlocking fields of fire. He revealed the fatal Japanese infantry officer weaknesses-arrogance compounded with a desire only to continually attack. The Japanese felt they could overcome material shortcomings with their courage and tenacity, at Guadalcanal that mindset was revealed to be totally deficient. By the time of Eniwetok and Iwo Jima the Japanese military had learned the value of shepherding their resources so as to inflict maximum casualties on the enemy, the main objective of modern war.
@@pimpompoom93726 Eniwetok?? I believe you must've meant Okinawa. That said, you're correct about the Japanees about face vis a vis attack, attack, attack.
Thank you for sharing. My dad was there and never really talked about it. My sincere respect for all who were there and did what they had to do.
I was born in the Solomons and grew up in this area before moving to Melbourne, Australia. Alligator creek and Edson's ridge was our playing ground as kids. Right up to the late 70's, this area still had the coconut trees from the plantation. These have been cleared and over grown now. As kids we would find bullets and drill a hole through them so we could hang them around our neck on a string. I understand in November 2019, a Chinese businessman has bought the whole area and has denied access to visitors by fencing off the site. Hope I am wrong.
I could only imagine what kind of relics are on that beach alone if one went over it with metal detector, perhaps human remains or small parts.
Steven lot of modern human waste also. The locals use it as a toilet!
They have really cleaned that area up since I was there in 03.
Thank you.
Pride of the Marines is a 1945 American biographical war film starring John Garfield and Eleanor Parker. It tells the story of U.S. Marine Al Schmid in World War II, his heroic stand against a Japanese attack during the Battle of Guadalcanal, in which he was blinded by a grenade, and his subsequent rehabilitation. The film was based on the 1944 Roger Butterfield book Al Schmid, Marine.
When I was growing up, my best friend's dad was a veteran of Guadalcanal. His name was Ed Kidd and I believe he drove one of those tanks on the beach. His war ended on Bougainville, wounded and sick with malaria he spent about a year in a hospital. Visions of enemy soldiers creeping across his yard also sometimes haunted him. To say that he was a hero to me would be the most extreme understatement.
Also, the book by Robert Leakey is a great book. Several books were written by Marines from the 1st Marine Division who fought in WW-2. Semper Fi
Robert Leckie wrote a Book for Children on ww2 Called "the story of ww2." I read it about 20 times in 4th grade... I wanted to be a Marine like Him and Pappy Boyington... I found out My uncle and Big brother had been paratroopers in the Army and it kinda was a legacy.. lol
Movie was Pride of the Marines. Al Schmidt was blinded and eventually regained at least partial sight.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_of_the_Marines
Awesome job Marine! Keep it up. Semper Fi.
Dude nice work 👍🏻 enjoyed every minute of your vid. I’m subbing
Very well presented, thanks.
Great video !
Amazing how different the vegetation is.
The Japanese used the mass, Banzai charges early on. At Guadalcanal, read the story and look at the actual photos of Battle of the Tenaru also known as Alligator Creek. The Marines killed over 900 Japanese as they continued to charge right into the guns.
That’s what this video is about?
Superbly done!
Very much enjoyed your presentation. 👍🇺🇸
What a great video
Just excellent. Thank you.