By Pierre Kosmidis

On the 7th August 1942, just eight months since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the United States started its island campaign in the Pacific – the U.S marines landed on the South Solomon islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Florida.

The landings themselves were unopposed and the Japanese who had been holding the airfield on Guadalcanal, later to be known as Henderson Field, retreated into the jungle.

On the 8th August the Japanese fought back with a furious aerial assault on the U.S.fleet. So began one of the longest of the island campaigns fought in the Pacific.

The Marines on the islands were just beginning to come to terms with impenetrable jungle, tropical heat, torrential rain, thick mud, strange diseases, vermin, mosquitoes, ants and flies.

That was before they faced an enemy ready and willing to fight to the death with suicidal recklessness.

James R. “Rube” Garrett was with the 1st Marines:

August 8, 1942

Hauled ammunition from battery to ammo dump and had an air raid at noon. The USS Elliot, a Marine Transport, was hit by suicide dive bomber. It was very damaged and was beached to keep it from sinking in the harbor. A destroyer was damaged also. There was one Jap plane and prisoners taken during the battle. Wild shooting during the night.

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