On August 7, 1942, the 1st Radier Bn landed on the small island of Tulagi, Solomon Is. as part of the operation to take Guadalcanal. Among the Raiders, stood PFC Edward H. Ahrens, a Kentucky native who enlisted on Feb 3 of that year, and now found himself on the second assault wave with Company "A". As the men secured the beachead, Company "A" and "C". began to move inland towards the Tulagi Central ridge, setting up a defensive line with little to no opposition. As night fell, the line was hit by a massive Japanese counterattack, which drove a wedge between the two Raider companies. Isolating the latter near the beachhead, the enemy concentrated their efforts on Company "A" in an attempt to sweep up the ridge toward the Raider battalion command post.
During the savage battle, PFC Ahrens was assigned to protect the Raiders' right flank, and with no fucks to spare, he began to slay bodies, single-handedly engaging a group in hand to hand combat.
By morning, Maj. Lew Walt recalls the following events: “I came across a foxhole occupied by Private First Class Ahrens, a small man of about 140 pounds. He was slumped in one corner of the foxhole covered with blood from head to foot. In the foxhole with him were two dead Japs, a lieutenant and a sergeant. There were eleven more dead Japs on the ground in front of his position. In his hands he clutched the dead officer’s sword. As he lay dying, Ahrens whispered: 'The idiot tried to come over me last night - I guess they didn’t know I was a Marine'.” PFC Ahrens died of his wounds on Aug. 8, 1942 and for his actions, was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. #zerofucks #nofucks #stayzero #marines #usmc #ww2 #greatestgeneration