'he bravely charged into the bivouac at the head of his unit with his automatic weapon blazing...'

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I was fortunate to recently acquire a rare piece of Marine Raider history. A portrait of Carlson Raider, John H. Slusser. Slusser was awarded the Navy Cross for feats of valor on Guadalcanal while serving as a platoon commander of F Company, 2nd Raider Battalion (Carlson's Raiders) in an action that occurred against the Japanese near the upper Lunga River on 30 November 1942 during Carlson's Long Patrol (4 November to 4 December 1942).

A good description of the nature of the month-long Long Patrol provided in the words of the Raiders themselves appeared in the 1947 book, "The Big Yankee: The Life of Carlson of the Raiders":

'We crossed behind the Japs from Aola to Mombula, into and through places with Solomon Island names that sounded like jungle noises: Binu, Reko, Asamana, Gegenda, Kema, Tasimboko, Malimbu, Tenaru, Lunga, Mombula. We met the enemy at least once a day. Sometimes twice; fought in rivers and on riverbanks, grassy knolls, behind trees, in the mud, ambushed, were ambushed, enveloped the enemy, were enveloped by him, and enveloped the envelopers. We fought in the dark and in the rutted jungle, and we might have killed our own men if we did not keep yelling, Hi, Raider! Hi, Raider! to say who we were.' [1]

Slusser's citation reads:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain John Harvey Slusser (MCSN: 0-12164), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service while serving as a Platoon Commander of Company F, SECOND Marine Raider Battalion, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 30 November 1942. Leading his platoon into an enemy bivouac on the upper Lunga River, Captain Slusser, then Marine Gunner, initiated a daring attack on the objective which caught a force of some ninety Japanese completely by surprise. Although vastly outnumbered, he bravely charged into the bivouac at the head of his unit with his automatic weapon blazing and, by his forceful and determined leadership, served to inspire his men to heroic endeavor in killing seventy-five of the enemy and in driving the remainder into the bush, achieving a complete victory over the hostile force without the loss of a Marine. His superb courage, outstanding initiative and valiant fighting spirit in the face of overwhelming odds reflect the highest credit upon Captain Slusser and enhance the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

As the citation makes clear, Slusser was a one man killing machine during this action.

John Wukovits in "American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders, and America's First Special Forces Mission" offers the following insights into the action:

'Later that day Cpl. John Yancey and a squad of six men located another enemy encampment on a rocky slope. One hundred Japanese soldiers rested at the bivouac, with their weapons and machine guns neatly stacked against trees in the bivouac's center. Unfazed at the long odds, Yancey counted on his automatic weapons evening the score.

In a pouring rain, Yancey and his group charged into the middle of the bivouac, automatic weapons spraying hundreds of bullets into the unsuspecting soldiers. The swift assault and murderous fire gave the enemy no opportunity to reach their rifles. Most died where they sat, while others fled toward the jungle covering at the ridge's top or jumped into the river. Raiders scrambled up and down the slope shooting the Japanese, while scouts and Raiders bayoneted any Japanese still alive. Afterward, Raiders dumped seventy-five enemy bodies into a hole, where, according to Private Bulger, they "covered them up without remorse or ceremony."

Carlson, who later called this thirty-minute firefight "the most spectacular of any of our engagements," cited Yancey for showing an initiative that caused him to react "promptly and with vigor." Yancey received the Navy Cross for this encounter.' [2]

General Vandegrift, in his commendation of the 2nd Raider Battalion following the Guadalcanal Campaign, made mention of the importance of their operations on the upper Lunga River. The 30 November action in which Slusser took part in and was awarded the Navy Cross for was implied in Vandergrift's commendation:

'In this latter phase of these operations the battalion destroyed the remnants of the enemy forces and bases on the upper Lunga River and secured valuable information of the terrain and the enemy line of operations.' [3]

On my next visit to Guadalcanal I look forward to finding/locating the exact spot where Raider John Slusser's Navy Cross action occurred and incorporating his story into our future Guadalcanal expeditions. Following in the footsteps of the elite Marine Raiders, walking their battlefields, and uncovering their story is one of the primary objectives of our expeditions to the Solomon Islands. Join us on our upcoming expedition to the Solomon Islands to walk in the footsteps of the elite Marine Raiders!

Photo from "The Big Yankee: The Life of Carlson of the Raiders" showing a strategy session during the Long Patrol. This photo also appears in "Bless 'Em All: The Raider Marines of World War II" and the following caption is provided: 'In a strategy session, Lt. Col. Carlson goes over a map with several of his staff and Raider officers. The make-shift map table was provided by the Guadalcanal jungle. Strategy was an important part of Carlson's 30 day patrol behind enemy lines and, more often than not, enemy action would make quick changes in previous plans. Here Carlson (seated with glasses) has the attention of his runner and scout, Jacobson (seated in helmet with .03 Springfield), Capt. James Davis, Capt. Bill Scherin, Schmidt, Maj. John Mathers, a native scout and an unknown. Photo was taken at command post in Binu, probably by Frank Cannistraci, a combat photographer in the 2nd Battalion.'

John H. Slusser, Carlson Raider and Navy Cross recipient, listed in the Raider roster published in "Our Kind of War: Illustrated Saga of the U.S. Marine Raiders of World War II", which lists the name of every Marine Raider that served in the Pacific...nearly 8,000 names.

Map from "Bless 'Em All: The Raider Marines of World War II" showing the route of Carlson's Long Patrol. The 30 November action, which John H. Slusser received the Navy Cross for, is marked.

Notes:
1. Blankfort, Michael. The Big Yankee: The Life of Carlson of the Raiders. Little, Brown and Company, 1947. (pp. 300-301).
2. Wukovits, John. American Commando: Evans Carlson, His WWII Marine Raiders, and America's First Special Forces Mission. NAL Caliber, 2009. (p. 236).
3. Blankfort, p. 370.