Wednesday, October 26, 2016

History: Oct. 26, 1942

As Mitchell Paige -- then a platoon sergeant -- and his men set about establishing their last defensive line on a ridge southwest of the tiny American bridgehead at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on Oct. 25, it's unlikely anyone thought they were about to provide a definitive answer to that most desperate of questions: How many able-bodied U.S. Marines does it take to hold a hill against2,000 desperate and motivated attackers?

And a little later on,
For the task, Major Conoley gathered together "three enlisted communication personnel, several riflemen, a few company runners who were at the point, together with a cook and a few messmen who had brought food to the position the evening before."
Be nice to know their names as well.

1 comment:

Rob said...

That was a good story, and an amazing fact at the end. Thanks!