How U.S. Marines Stymied Japanese Forces at the Battle of the Bloody Ridge
In the early battles for Guadalcanal, U.S. Marines handed the Imperial Japanese Army its first taste of defeat at the Battle of Bloody Ridge.
Here's What You Need to Know: The myth of the Japanese soldier as a “superman” was shattered at Guadalcanal.
Scanning over the maps unfolded before him in the division operations room, Colonel Gerald C. Thomas, 1st Marine Division G-3 officer, turned and muttered: “They’re coming.”
Colonel Merritt A. “Red Mike” Edson, commanding officer of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, agreed. But from what direction? Pointing to a prominent ridge line on an aerial photograph, “Red Mike” softly whispered: “This looks like a good approach.”