This Day In U.S. Military History – September 23, 1942

Lewis "Chesty" Puller - Guadalcanal

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On August 7, 1942, the 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal, seizing a nearly completed Japanese airfield that became Henderson Field. The campaign quickly turned into a grinding struggle for control of the island. By mid-September, the Marines had established a defensive perimeter around Lunga Point, but Japanese forces remained concentrated west of the Matanikau River. On September 18 the 7th Marines arrived as reinforcements. Four days later, on September 23, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller led his 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, out of the perimeter on a combat patrol intended to locate and disrupt those Japanese concentrations.

Puller’s 930-man battalion moved west through jungle and along the northern slopes of Mount Austen. That morning they drove off two Japanese reconnaissance patrols. The following day, September 24, they surprised a Japanese bivouac, killing more than a dozen enemy soldiers before coming under heavy fire from a larger force. The sharp engagement cost Puller’s battalion seven killed and twenty-five wounded. Because of the difficult terrain, evacuating the wounded required a large escort. Division headquarters sent the 2/5 Marines forward to assist. Puller sent two of his companies back with the casualties and continued the mission with the remainder of his force.

Over the next three days the operation expanded into what became known as the Second Battle of the Matanikau. Additional Marine units, including elements of the 1st Raider Battalion, attempted to cross the river and establish a patrol base farther west. On September 27 several companies were landed by boat west of Point Cruz in an effort to outflank Japanese positions. They immediately came under intense fire, became isolated, and faced encirclement. Puller, coordinating from the eastern bank and by radio, helped arrange naval gunfire support from a destroyer and an amphibious withdrawal under fire. Coast Guard-manned landing craft extracted the trapped Marines in a harrowing operation later called “Little Dunkirk.” The September fighting cost the Marines dozens of casualties and failed to seize lasting control of the Matanikau crossings, but it forced the Japanese to reveal their positions and bought time for the defense of Henderson Field.

Puller’s aggressive leadership, on Guadalcanal, exemplified the style that made him a Marine Corps legend. He later earned his third Navy Cross, for holding a critical sector against massive Japanese assaults during the Battle for Henderson Field, on the night of October 24–25, 1942. He also received the Bronze Star and a Purple Heartfor his service on the island. Over his entire career Puller became the most decorated Marine in American history, receiving five Navy Crosses—two in Nicaragua, two in World War II (Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester), and one in Korea—plus the Army Distinguished Service Cross,a Silver Star,two Legions of Merit with Combat “V,”and other decorations. The September 23 patrol marked the beginning of his most famous campaign, one that helped secure Guadalcanal as the first major Allied offensive victory in the Pacific.

Semper Fidelis has been the motto of the Marine Corps since 1883. Often shortened to Semper Fi, it translates to “Always Faithful.” Knowing many Marines, including my retired grandson, this motto describes a Marine perfectly – because “once a Marine, always a Marine.” Lewis “Chesty” Puller may be one of the most decorated Marines in U.S. Military History, but it was never something he strived to be. He, like all Marines, just strived to do their duty to God and Country. Today, I salute 🫡 🇺🇸 you, sir. Thank you for your service. God Bless the Marines, God Bless President Trump and God protect all of our troops – especially those in harm’s way!