1st Division Marines & the Battle for Guadalcanal

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In early August 1942, hoping to halt the expansion of the Japanese in the South Pacific, Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. It would take six long months of grueling battle before they would take control of the island from the Japanese and put them on the defensive for the first time.

The soldiers, sailors, and Marines fighting to hold Guadalcanal battled not only the enemy, but also suffocating heat, intense food shortages, and tropical diseases such as dysentery and malaria.

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Paul Thomer's contributions to the battle were documented in his local newspaper, the Pittsburgh Press. He not only served as a scout and runner at Guadalcanal, but also helped the Division chaplain build 10 chapels.

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Click button below to view Pvt. Thomer's newspaper articles & military docs: 

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