Birth-1943
Address:
Service: Marines, G/2/8th Marines
Rank: Private
Conflict:
USMC World War II
Pvt. Walter E. Blood MIA/KIA date of loss November 23, 1942 location Solomon Islands
Official Date of death November 24, 1943,
Unit Company G, 2nd Battalion,8th Marines 2nd Marine Division, FMF
Mother, Mrs. Joanna M. Blood
Service# 362601
Awards: World War II Victory Medal, Purple Heart
Battle of Guadalcanal.
On November 22, 1942, units of the Army’s Americal Division and the 8th Marine Regiment began a series of frontal attacks on a string of hills along the north coast of Guadalcanal. Steep ravines, bare ridges, and tenacious Japanese resistance thwarted the Americans, and after 48 hours the operation was called off. Nearly 40 members of the 8th Marines lost their lives in the futile assault. Private Blood was last seen in a ravine on the morning of November 23, 1942, as G/2/8 attempted to scale a heavily defended ridge. When the company withdrew back to the jumping off positions early in the afternoon, five Marines — including Blood — were missing. All were declared dead on 24 November 1943.
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