General Alexander Vandegrift, commander of the 1st
Marine Division, had been fighting the Japanese at Guadalcanal for over four months under less than
desirable conditions: they were surrounded by the enemy around Henderson Airfield, lacked proper
food, and ammunition was running dangerously low. A desperate firefight had just ended around the
perimeter, and General Vandegrift observed his Marines with contempt. Their machine gun
barrels still running hot, and the wounded still pleading for help, the Marines and the
Navy Corpsman quickly rushed to help. Most of the Japanese from the assault wave had perished,
but one wounded soldier grasped for help. One leatherneck and corpsman approached him
to provide first aid. As they raised him, General Vandegrift’s eyes were wide
open: the wounded Japanese was armed with a hand grenade set to detonate.
He shouted with desperation, but it was futile: it was already too late. Only then
did the general realize his men were fighting an enemy who was truly committed to fighting the
last man for the eternal glory of the Emperor and the Empire of Japan.
Guadalcanal was hell. From a young age, Alexander Archer
Vandergrift was fascinated by the military, avidly reading all the war novels he could
find, leading him to become a man of combat and admiring figures such as Arthur Wellesley,
1st Duke of Wellington, and Horatio Nelson. In January 1909, after completing two
years at the University of Virginia, Archer joined the United States Marine
Corps as a Second Lieutenant. In 1912, Archer was deployed to the Caribbean to serve in
Cuba and Nicaragua, where he participated in the bombardment and capture of the Coyotepe Fortress.
Two years later, the young Lieutenant participated in the occupation of the Mexican coastal
state of Veracruz and was then deployed for more operations in the Caribbean until 1923,
turning him accustomed to the tropical heat, the jungle, and skirmishes, traits that would
become helpful once broke out with Japan. As a Major, Vandergrift returned to the US to
command a Marine battalion from 1923 to 1926 before becoming Assistant Chief of Staff at
the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California. The seasoned leatherneck kept climbing
the ranks and was dispatched to China for two years to learn the culture and the
political landscape of the Asian country. The Charlottesville, Virginia, native
kept gaining administrative experience in various locations in the United States
and reached the rank of Colonel under the mentorship of Marine legend General John Lejeune. This venerated devil dog gave Vandegrift
vast knowledge of planning, strategy, and tactics, especially in amphibious
warfare. Archer continued to excel in his work and returned to China as executive
officer and commanding officer of the Marine detachment at the American embassy in Beijing.
China and the Empire of Japan were at war, allowing Archer to learn more about
his allies and his possible opponents: the Japanese. During his time at Marine Corps
Headquarters from 1937 to 1941, Vandegrift collaborated closely with the Corps’ Commandant.
Archer then achieved the rank of Brigadier General in March 1940 as tensions rose between
Japan, Germany, and the United States following Hitler’s invasion of Poland.
Smelling the taste of war on the horizon, Vandergrift ensured the Marines were ready
for combat at a moment’s notice. He grew the USMC from just over 28,000 men in 1940
to 55,000 by the end of the following year. By November 1941, one month before
the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Archer was appointed Assistant Commander
of the newly formed 1st Marine Division. Following the treacherous bombing
of the American base in Hawaii, President Roosevelt declared war against the
Empire of Japan and prepared America for war. Vandergrift knew his time had finally come to
test his skills against the brutal might of the Empire of Japan. He and his Marines were ready,
and they would not disappoint their country. While Brigadier General was given command of
the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, the leathernecks stationed at Wake Island made a
heroic last stand against the overwhelming numbers between December 8 and December 23, 1941.
The ragged garrison of 450 Marines destroyed four enemy warships, 21 aircraft,
and one submarine, inflicting over 1,000 losses against the Empire of Japan.
In March 1942, Vandegrift was promoted to Major General and commanded the 1ST Marine
Division. While eager for combat, Archer and his troops constantly received pessimistic reports.
Following the loss of Wake Island, the allied troops lost Rabaul on January 23, Singapore in
February, and New Guinea in March. As for the Philippines, the shadow of the Japanese Empire
fell over it in May 1943 after Army Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright’s surrender.
Despite the adversity, America proved to the world the Japanese were not invincible after
the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1943, and the destruction of an enemy fleet
during the Battle of the Coral Sea. It was time for the United States to achieve a
ground victory against the enemy. Such a task fell upon Major General Vandergrift, who, in the spring
of 1942, was ordered to leave the US with the 1st Marine Division and head to the Pacific for their
first conquest of the war: the Solomon Islands. Chapter Hell at Guadalcanal
Major General Vandergrift’s orders were to help halt the Japanese advance
toward Australia and New Zealand. While the Major and the 1st Marines landed at the
latter, the word came along to prepare for an immediate offensive in the Lower Solomons, and
Vandergrift’s Marines were the tip of the spear. American intelligence had uncovered Japanese
troops building a landing field at Guadalcanal, prompting the military to act quickly and
attack the island with all forces available. Under Operation Watchtower, the 1st Marines
were to lead the first amphibious and offensive operation undertaken by the United
States. And only Archer could pull it off. However, the suddenness of the operation
caught the Major and the 1st Marines off guard. His men were not at full strength
and still needed additional training. Nonetheless, Vandergrift did all he
could to meet the August deadline, assembling all the forces available and
training his devil dogs as much as possible. On July 31, 1942, the 1st Marine Division
left the island of Koro after its last drills and embarked for Guadalcanal. D-Day
on Guadalcanal was set for August 7. Over 19,000 eager leathernecks were about to
meet the Japanese for the first time. The Marines were far from being
the lethal force they would become as the war progressed. For Operation
Watchtower, the troops were equipped with bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifles
and only a 10-day supply of ammunition. Always behind the Army in terms of technology,
the semi-automatic M1 Garand still hadn’t made its debut with the Marines. Fortunately
for the Marines, BAR machine guns and the iconic 50-caliber and 30-caliber Browning
MGs were already part of their arsenal. Due to heavy storms and clouds, Vandergrift’s
Marines arrived unseen on Guadalcanal the night of August 6. The attacking force was
split to attack Tulagi simultaneously. What followed was an intense bombing campaign
led by the Allied warships and American carrier aircraft. Enemy barracks and supply
depots were targeted with pinpoint accuracy in preparation for the amphibious landings.
It was now time for the Marines to lead the first American amphibious landing of the war.
While other detachments were already attacking the islands of Gavutu and Tanambogo
with intense resistance from the enemy, the shores of Guadalcanal were not protected.
Vandergrift and his 11,000 men landed on the island at 9:10am on August 7 near Lunga and
Koli points without any difficulties besides machine gun fire and scattered artillery fire.
The seasoned commander and his troops advanced swiftly and without hesitation, taking
control of the airfield the next day. While Vandegrift secured this vital location,
the US Navy task force came under fire from Japanese Navy vessels and withdrew from the
Solomons, leaving the 1st Marine Division behind. Alone and surrounded by enemy ships and enemies
hidden in the jungle, Commander Vandegrift established a defensive perimeter around Lunga
Point and the battlefield named Henderson Field. The supplies were minimal, and the Marines were
limited to just two daily meals. Soon, a strain of dysentery began to spread among the fighting men.
In late August, Marine patrols were ambushed close to the Matanikau River by the Japanese
troops entrenched in the area. All of the enemy combatants were neutralized after the Americans
attacked them from three different locations, enabling Vandregrift’s troops to continue
increasing their area of operations. Days later, escort carrier USS Long
Island delivered over 30 aircraft, including Grumman Wildcats and SBD Dauntless, to
the captured airfield. These Marine pilots went to work immediately and earned the nickname Cactus
Air Force while fighting for island control. Vandegrift, demanding as ever but always
thoughtful of his fellow leathernecks, continued issuing orders to his Marines
to secure the Lunga perimeter from the increasing Japanese night attacks.
Protecting Henderson Field from a possible Japanese reconquest was vital for the
Marines to keep their friendly aircraft in the air to ensure victory while they were isolated.
Vandegrift also tasked the elite Paramarines and the Raiders to hunt down the enemy deep in the
dangerous jungle, where ambushes, booby traps, and snipers were hidden in the thick foliage.
During the night of September 12, the Japanese launched a ruthless, large-scale attack
against the Marines posted at the Lunga Ridge and River. Located just south of the
airfield, this was the perfect strike point to break into Henderson Field and wreak havoc.
Over 3,000 Japanese attacked the Marine Raiders from a grassy, 1,000-yard-long coral ridge.
The darkness favored the enemy for a sneak attack that took the Marines off-guard when they
were blinded by fire from one of their flanks. The men retreated while the Japanese pushed
to encircle them. Fortunately for the Raiders, Marine support came from the north
and drove the hostile forces back in intense hand-to-hand combat encounters.
Other Japanese attempts to break through the perimeter failed and cost over 800 lives
of the 3,000-strong attacking force. The surviving Japanese retreated to Matanikau, and
Vandegrift went after them without hesitation. His men could break them with small
unit operations that could lure out the scattered Japanese troops and prevent them
from regrouping. These operations continued until October when the Japanese received over
15,000 reinforcements to launch another mass attack to take control of Henderson Field.
In a letter to the commander of the Marines, Major General Thomas Holcomb, General Vandegrift
wrote: (QUOTE) “I have never heard or read of this kind of fighting. These people, the Japanese,
refuse to surrender. The wounded wait until men come up to examine them and blow themselves and
the other fellow to pieces with a hand grenade.” Stiff resistance from Marine infantry and
artillery fire decimated the attacking forces. Commander Vandegrift, ready to exploit the battle
in his favor, dispatched six Marine battalions and one Army battalion west of Mataniku to
flank the Japanese and capture Kokumbona. These November operations succeeded,
allowing the Marines to strengthen themselves in another critical island area.
Vandegrift also dispatched Marines to destroy the Japanese landings at Koli before they could
disappear into the jungle and join the survivors. Although weary, the 1st Marines kept
delivering victories to Vandegrift, who commanded and disciplined them effectively,
always bearing their souls in mind and not exposing them to unnecessary dangers.
In early December 1942, the 1st Marines were withdrawn from the island for a
well-earned rest. Army Major General Alexander Patch replaced Vandegrift as
commander of Allied forces on Guadalcanal. For his exploits in Guadalcanal and
his excellent commanding abilities, Vandegrift was awarded the Medal of Honor for
commanding the initial landings at Guadalcanal, occupation of the Island, and securing a
valuable base of operations against the enemy. The award ceremony occurred at the
White House on February 5, 1943, where President Roosevelt congratulated the
veteran Marine. Despite his achievements, Vandegrift remained in service and went to the
Pacific with his 1st Marines, who were also awarded their first Presidential Unit Citation.
In November 1943, during the early phases of the Bougainville campaign, Lieutenant General
Vandegrift was in command of the First Marine Amphibious Corps. On January 1, 1944, he
assumed the role of the 18th commandant of the Marine Corps, and by March 1945, he was
promoted to general, marking him as the first active-duty Marine to reach a four-star rank.
Vandegrift fought tooth and nail to defend the USMCs existence during the difficult post-war
years until he was relieved as Commandant in 1948. He retired one year later and died on May 8,
1973, as one of the iconic legends of the Marines. The guided-missile frigate Vandegrift, which
entered service in 1984, was named in honor of the man who conducted the first American amphibious
operation of World War 2 and the first Marine to attain the rank of general and be awarded both the
Navy Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor.
