by Daniel Wrinn
Vandegrift fought another battle in the halls of Congress. The stakes were the survival of the US Marine Corps. His counter testimony during congressional hearings of the spring of 1946 helped to defeat initial attempts to merge or unify the US Armed Forces. Although his term as Commandant ended on December 31, 1947, Vandegrift lived to see the passage of Public Law 416, which preserved the Corps and its historic mission. He retired on April 1, 1949, after 40 years of service.
Vandegrift outlived both his wife and their only son. He spent his last years in Delray, Florida. He died on May 8, 1973, at 86 years old.
The Coastwatchers
A group of less than fifteen-hundred native coastwatchers served as the eyes and ears of Allied forces, reporting Japanese movements and units on the ground, in the air, and at sea. The coastwatchers, code named Ferdinand, possessed both physical and mental courage having to perform their jobs in remote jungle outposts. Their invaluable knowledge of the geography and peoples of the Pacific made them an indispensable addition to the Allied war effort.
This concept originated in 1919 by a proposal from the Royal Australian Navy to form a civilian coast watching organization for an early warning in case of invasion. When war broke out in 1939, over eight hundred people served as coastwatchers. They manned observation posts mainly on the Australian coast. They were government officials aided by missionaries and planters who, with the war growing closer with Japan, were placed under the intelligence and control of the Australian Navy. By 1942, the coast watching system and the accompanying intelligence network covered an area of over half-a-million miles. They were now placed under the control of the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB). The AIB coordinate needed all Allied intelligence activities in the Southwest Pacific. Their initial principal mission was to collect all information about the enemy near Guadalcanal.
Coastwatchers were useful to Marine forces in providing reports on the number and movement of the Japanese troops. 1st Division Marine officers obtained accurate location information of enemy forces and their objective areas. They were provided vital reports on approaching Japanese bombing raids. On August 8, 1942, coastwatcher Jack Reed, on Bougainville, alerted American forces to an upcoming raid by over forty Japanese bombers. This resulted in thirty-six enemy planes shot down and destroyed. The coastwatchers provided an early warning system that helped the Marine forces on Guadalcanal maintain control of the Henderson Field airstrip.
The coastwatchers also rescued over 115 Allied pilots, including Marines, during the Solomon Islands campaign. Often frequently in danger or at a risk to their own lives. The pipe-smoking coastwatcher Jack Reed coordinated the evacuation on Bougainville of four nuns and twenty-five civilians with the US submarine Nautilus.
It’s unknown the exact number of coastwatchers that paid the ultimate price in the performance of their duties. Many brave men and women died in anonymity, without knowing the contribution their services had made to the ultimate victory in the Pacific Theatre. Perhaps they’d be gratified to know that no less an authority than Admiral “Bull” Halsey recorded that the coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal—and Guadalcanal saved the Pacific.
Sergeant Major Sir Jacob Charles Vouza
Born in 1900 at Tasimboko, Guadalcanal, and the British Solomon Islands protectorate. He was educated at the South Seas evangelical mission school. He joined the Solomon Islands protectorate Armed Constabulary In 1916. In 1941 he retired at the rank of sergeant major after twenty-five-years of service.
After the Imperial Japanese invaded his home island, he volunteered to work with the coastwatchers on active duty with the British forces. Vouza’s experience as a scout had already been established when the 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal. On August 7, 1942, he rescued a down naval pilot from the USS Wasp, who was shot down inside Japanese territory. He guided the pilot to friendly lines where he met the Marines for the first time.
Vouza volunteered to scout behind enemy lines for the Marines. On August 27, he was captured by the Japanese while on a Marine Corps mission to locate suspected enemy lookouts. The Japanese found a small American flag in his loincloth. He was tied to a tree and interrogated about Allied forces. Vouza was questioned for hours, but refused to talk. He was tortured. Bayoneted in the arms, stomach, throat, face, and left to die.
After his captors departed, he freed himself. He made his way through miles of jungle to the American lines. He supplied valuable intelligence information to the Marines about an impending Japanese attack before accepting medical attention. He spent twelve days in the hospital, then returned to duty as chief scout for the Marines. He accompanied. Colonel Carlson in the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion when they made their thirty-day raid behind enemy lines at Guadalcanal.
Sergeant Major Vouza was highly decorated for his World War II service. The Silver Star was presented to him personally by Vandegrift for refusing to give information under Japanese torture. He was also awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding service with the 2nd Raider Battalion during November and December 1942.
After the war, Sergeant Major Vouza continued to serve his fellow islanders. In 1949 he was appointed district headman and president of the Guadalcanal Council. From 1952 to 1958, he was a member of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Advisory Council.
During his long association with the US Marine Corps and through the years, he made many friends. In 1968, he visited the United States and was the honored guest of the 1st Marine Division Association. In 1979 he was knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. He died on March 15, 1984.
The Amtrac LVT 1 (Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Mark 1)
The Marine Corps was developing an amphibious warfare doctrine during the 1920s and 30s. There was a need for a motorized amphibian vehicle to transport men and equipment from ships across reefs and beaches into battle. Especially when the beach was defended.
The Marines adopted the LVT 1 in 1940. Designed by Donald Roebling and known as the “Amtrac” (amphibian tractor), The LVT 1 had a front cabin and a small engine compartment in the rear. The bulk of the body was used as a carrying space. During the next three years, over twelve hundred amphibious tractors were built and used in the war. The Amtrac was constructed of welded steel and propelled on both land and water by paddle-type treads. It functioned as a supply vehicle. It could carry forty-five-hundred-pounds of cargo. In August 1942, the Amtrac saw combat on Guadalcanal with the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion. Fighting throughout the Solomon Islands campaigns, the Amtrac provided Marines of all types logistical support, moving thousands-of-tons of supplies from the front lines. They were also pressed into a more tactical use. They moved artillery pieces, they held defensive positions, and occasionally supported Marines in the attack with their machine guns. They were also used as pontoons to support bridges across Guadalcanal rivers.
The Amtrac proved to be more seaworthy than a boat of comparable size. They remained afloat with its entire cargo hold full of water, but defects in the design soon became apparent. The paddle treads on the tracks and the rigid suspension system were both susceptible to damage when driven on land. They did not provide the desired speed on land or water. The Amtrac performed well when used against undefended beachheads, but the lack of armor made it an easy target for enemy attacks against the heavily defended Pacific Islands. This was an obvious weakness during the fighting in the Solomon Islands, but Amtracs with improvised armor were still in use at the assault on Tarawa, where over 75% of them were lost in three days.
The Amtrac proved its value and validated the amphibious vehicle concept through the excellent mobility and versatility it demonstrated throughout many campaigns in the Pacific. Although designed solely for supply purposes, it was first thrust into combat use in early war engagements. Its initial role as a support vehicle to deliver ammunition, supplies, and reinforcements made the difference between victory and defeat.
Reising Gun
Eugene Reising designed and developed this extraordinary gun. The Reising gun was
patented in 1940 and manufactured by the gun-making firm of Harrington and Richardson in Worcester, Massachusetts. According to research, the guns were made on existing machine tools that dated back to the Civil War, and of ordinary steel rather than steel ordinance.
New machine tools and ordinance steel were scarce and needed for more demanding weapons. This meant the Reising gun met an immediate requirement for many submachine guns at the time. When the production of the Thompson M1928 and M1 submachine guns hadn’t yet caught up with the demand, the stamped out M3 “grease gun” had still not yet been invented.
The Reising gun came in two different models, the 50 and the 55. The model 50 had a wooden stock and a compensator attached to the muzzle. The compensator, which reduced the upward muzzle climb from the recoil, was invented by Richard Cutts and his son; both were to become Marine brigadier generals.
The other version was dubbed the model 55. It had a folding metal wire shoulder stock which swiveled on a wooden pistol grip. It also had a shorter barrel and no compensator. Intended for use by the parachutists, tank crews, and others needing a compact weapon. Both versions of the Reising gun fired .45-caliber ammunition, the same cartridge as the automatic Colt pistol and the Thompson machine gun. Over one hundred thousand Reising submachine guns were produced between 1940 and 1942.
Some small numbers of these weapons were acquired by Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Most were used by the Marine Corps in the Solomon Islands campaign. The model 55 was issued to both the Marine Parachute Battalion and Raiders fighting on Guadalcanal. After its lackluster performance in combat, it was withdrawn from frontline service in 1943 due to many flaws in design and manufacture.
The Reising’s major flaws were the propensity for jamming. This was because of a design problem in the magazine, and the fact that the magazines were made of a soft sheet steel. The weapon safety mechanism didn’t always work. If the butt was slammed down on the deck, the hammer would set back against the mainspring and then fly forward, firing a chambered cartridge. This design allowed the entry of dirt into the mechanism, and close tolerances caused it to jam. The steel used allowed excessive rust to form in the tropical humidity of the Solomons. At six pounds, the Reising was handier than the ten pound Thompson, more accurate, easier to shoot, and more reliable under other than combat conditions, but the muzzle always needed to be pointed in a safe direction. The model 50 was also issued to Marines for guard duty at posts and stations in the United States.
The Japanese 50mm Heavy Grenade Discharger
Known as the Juteki by the Japanese, this weapon was designated as “heavy,” being justified by the powerful one pound, 12-ounce high explosive shell it fired. It also fired the standard model 91 fragmentation grenade.
The American Marines and soldiers who first encountered this weapon and others of its kind in combat named them “knee mortars,” because they were fired from a kneeling position. The dischargers concave baseplate was firmly pressed into the surface of the ground by the operator’s foot to support the heavy recoil of the fired shell.
The term knee mortars suggested to some untrained captors of these weapons that they were to be fired with the baseplate resting against the knee or thigh. When a Marine fired one of these from his thigh and broke his upper leg bone, efforts were swiftly undertaken in the field to immediately educate all combat troops in the safe and proper handling of these useful weapons.
The 50mm heavy grenade discharger is a muzzle-loaded, high-angle fire weapon that weighs ten pounds and is twenty-four inches in overall length. Its design is compact and straightforward. The discharger has three major components: the supporting barrel pedestal with a firing mechanism, the baseplate, and the rifled barrel. Operation of this model was straightforward, and with practice, the user could deliver accurate fire quickly to a target.
In all significant battles of the Pacific, the 50mm heavy grenade discharger was an uncomplicated, portable, and efficient weapon. Transported in a leather case wrapped in a cloth with a sling. Its one-piece construction made it easy to bring into action rapidly. This grenade discharger had the advantage over most mortars. It could be aimed and fired mechanically after the projectile had been placed in the barrel.
The model 91 fragmentation grenade with its seven-second fuse made this discharger effective in a jungle setting. Offering the user complete safety from a premature detonation by the overhanging foliage. It fired an incendiary grenade and signal and smoke shells, which made this versatile and effective weapon valuable with its particular types of ammunition.
This weapon won the respect of all those who came to know it.
1st Marine Utility Uniform Issued in World War II
When the United States Marine Corps entered World War II, they wore the same summer field uniform they had worn during the Banana Wars. The Marines that defended American Pacific outposts on Guam, Philippines, and Wake Island in the late months of 1941 wore a summer field uniform that consisted of a khaki cotton shirt and trousers, leggings, and a steel helmet. Plans to change this uniform had been underway for over a year before the opening of hostilities.
Just like the Army, the Marine Corps had used a loose-fitting blue denim fatigue uniform for details and field exercises since the 1920s. This fatigue uniform came in either a two-piece bib overalls and jacket or a one-piece coverall with USMC metal buttons. It was ultimately replaced in June 1940 by a green cotton coverall. This uniform and the same summer field uniform were replaced by what would become known as the utility uniform. Approved for use on the 166th birthday of the Marine Corps, November 10, 1941. This uniform was made of a sage green (also known as olive drab) herringbone twill cotton, at the time a popular material for civilian work clothing. The two-piece uniform consisted of a coat (referred to as a jacket by Marines) and trousers. In 1943, a cap of the same material would be issued.
The loose-fitting coat was closed down the front by 24 riveted, bronze finish, steel buttons; each bore the words “USMC” in relief. The cuffs were closed by similar buttons. Two large patch pockets were sewn on the front skirts of the jacket and a single patch pocket was stitched to the left breast. The pocket had the Marine Corps eagle, globe, anchor, and an insignia with USMC letters stenciled on it in black ink. The trousers could be worn with or without khaki canvas leggings and had two rear patch pockets and two front pockets.
This new uniform was issued to the flood of new recruits that crowded depots in the early months of 1942. First worn in combat during the landing on Guadalcanal in August 1942, this uniform was worn by Marines of all arms from the Solomon campaigns until the end of the war. Initially, the buttons on the coat and the trousers were all copper plated. An emergency alternate specification was approved on August 15, 1942, eight days after the landing on Guadalcanal. This allowed for a variety of finishes on the buttons. Toward the end of the war, a new “modified” utility uniform had been developed after Tarawa was issued. Besides a variety of camouflage uniforms, these utility uniforms, along with Army designed M1 helmets. The Marine Corps wore rubber-soled “boondocker” shoes that would be worn throughout the war in the Pacific, during the postwar years, and into the Korean War.
The 1st Marine Division Patch
The 1st Division shoulder patch was authorized to be worn by members of units attached or organic to the division and its four landings in the Pacific War. It was the 1st unit patch to be allowed for wear in World War II. Specifically, it commemorated the division’s sacrifices and victory in the invasion and battle for Guadalcanal.
Before the 1st Division left Guadalcanal for Australia, there was a discussion by senior staff about uniforms and the troops. At first, the Marines would have to wear US Army uniforms. Which meant they’d lose their identity and so the idea came up for a division patch. After several different designs were proposed, General Vandegrift ultimately approved one on the flight out of Guadalcanal.
Captain Donald Dixon drew a diamond in his notebook, and in the middle of the diamond, he doodled the
numeral one. He sketched the word Guadalcanal down its length. He believed the entire operation had been under the southern cross, so he drew that in as well. An hour later, he took his drawing to the front of the aircraft to General Vandegrift. The general enthusiastically approved his design and wrote his initials on the bottom of the notebook page.
After Captain Dixon arrived in Brisbane, Australia. He bought a child’s watercolor set while confined to his hotel room because of malaria. He drew a bunch of diamonds on a big sheet, he colored each one differently. He then took samples to Vandegrift, who chose the one colored a shade of blue that he liked. Then Dixon took the sketch to the Australian knitting mills to have it produced. He offered the credit of the posting exchange funds to pay for manufacturing the patches. After a week, the patches rolled off the knitting machines, and Captain Dixon was there to approve them. He recalled: “After they came off the machine, I picked up a sheet of them. They looked excellent, and when they were cut, I picked up one of the Patches. It was the first off the knitting machine.”
The division’s post exchanges sold the patches almost immediately. The Marines bought extras to give away as souvenirs to their Australian friends or send home.