The Saber and Scroll
II / 4 battalions , forcing a breakthrough to the airfield . A small group of Japanese penetrated so far north that they wandered into the 1st Division CP and bayoneted a Marine before being cut down .
During these two nights , the Marines achieved a significant victory over a superior Japanese force , which undoubtedly saved Henderson Field from capture . Edson ’ s casualties are difficult to validate and range from between 133 and 166 . However , the most accurate estimates come from Edson ’ s definitive biography , which reports 34 Raiders dead and 129 wounded ( a total of 163 ), or one-quarter of Edson ’ s command . Nine Raiders are listed as missing in action . The Parachutist casualties were proportional .
After the war , Kawaguchi reported his losses as 41 officers and 1,092 enlisted men killed or wounded , a little less than twenty percent of the Brigade ’ s 6,700-man compliment . The number was undoubtedly higher . The 2nd Battalion 5th Marines , who replaced the Raiders , reported burying six hundred slain Japanese . Richard Frank estimates Japanese losses on the ridge could have been as high as 800 killed or missing . The jungle certainly took the seriously wounded as they trekked east to relative safety west of the Matanikau River . [ See Image E ]
The “ Battle of Bloody Ridge ,” alternatively “ Edson ’ s Ridge ,” or just “ The Ridge ,” instantly became a Marine Corps legend . Edson and Bailey received the Medal of Honor . The latter was AWOL from a hospital on Espiritu
Santo and arrived just in time for the battle still wearing his hospital tennis shoes . Bailey ’ s MOH was awarded posthumously , as he was killed in fighting on the Matanikau less than two weeks later . Thirteen Raiders received the Navy Cross , the nation ’ s second-highest decoration . One Raider received his second Navy Cross in as many weeks . An impressive number , no doubt , but disproportionately low considering the countless acts of individual bravery displayed during the battle . Also confusing is that of the 24 U . S . Navy ships named after Raider heroes and alumni ; only the USS Edson ( DD-946 ) was named for a veteran of the battle for “ The Ridge .”
Visiting the Battlefield
The Battle of Bloody Ridge took
place in one of the most remote locations in the world . In 1942 , other than a few British government officials and Australian coconut plantation owners , few had ever heard of the Solomon Islands and fewer reasons to go there . Likewise , nobody in the United States had ever heard of Guadalcanal ; however , by 1943 , every American knew the name and what happened there .
Almost eight decades later , the Solomon Islands are still very much off the beaten track , but with careful planning , one can arrange a visit to the island . Before the COVID pandemic , several United States and Australian tour companies offered multi-day tour packages to explore the Bloody Ridge National Peace Park . The number of tours that will survive is unknown , but interested parties should begin plan-
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