Merritt Austin Edson-Arlington, VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 38° 52.836 W 077° 04.224
18S E 320411 N 4305563
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient for action on the Solomon Islands on September 13-14, 1942. He attained the rank of Major General in the US Marine Corps. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2, site 4960-1-2.
Waymark Code: WMWYH8
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 10/30/2017
Views: 0
He was born on April 25, 1897 in Rutland, VT and died on August 14, 1955 in Washington D.C. His Medal of Honor information and citation is: EDSON, MERRITT AUSTIN
• Rank and organization: Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
• Other Navy awards: Navy Cross with Gold Star, Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star
Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, with Parachute Battalion attached, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on the night of 1314 September 1942. After the airfield on Guadalcanal had been seized from the enemy on 8 August, Col. Edson, with a force of 800 men, was assigned to the occupation and defense of a ridge dominating the jungle on either side of the airport. Facing a formidable Japanese attack which, augmented by infiltration, had crashed through our front lines, he, by skillful handling of his troops, successfully withdrew his forward units to a reserve line with minimum casualties. When the enemy, in a subsequent series of violent assaults, engaged our force in desperate hand-to-hand combat with bayonets, rifles, pistols, grenades, and knives, Col. Edson, although continuously exposed to hostile fire throughout the night, personally directed defense of the reserve position against a fanatical foe of greatly superior numbers. By his astute leadership and gallant devotion to duty, he enabled his men, despite severe losses, to cling tenaciously to their position on the vital ridge, thereby retaining command not only of the Guadalcanal airfield, but also of the 1st Division's entire offensive installations in the surrounding area.
Armed Service: Marines
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