Imperial Valley press., 1942-12-04
BY CHARLES ARNOT

With IfE AMERICAN tORCES
ON GUADALCANAL. Nov. 22-tDe-
layedl Barney Ross. once
world lightweight and welterweight
champion. fought some 400 times in
the ring but he told me today that
ali those fights put together could
not begin to compare with IA hours
OF he'll in a Shellhole on the Matan-
ikao river front two days ago
The ring is kids play compared
with this battle out here" Ross
told ne. This is a finish fight
with no blows barred. There is
no referee to break the clincheS."
For staying in the front lines all
night with three wounded marine
companions in the face of terrific
japanese machinegun and shell
fire, Ross has been promoted to
corporal and his superior officers
have recommended him for dis
tinguiShed service honors.
Ross not only stayed at the front
while the japanese attacked our
positions with every available
weapon but he threw every hand
grenade he could find at the enemy.
II is estimated he killed at least
lC Japanese between dusk and
dawn.
Ross is So now and his temples
are greying. He joined the ma
rine corps shortly after Pearl Har-
Dor.
He told me his story from a cot
in the hospital where he is recov-
ering from a combination OF ma
laria. shell shock and minor shrap-
rel wounds on his hands and arms.
My company Of marines was
spearheading the attack for a big
army push above Matanikao river,
five miles northwest of Henderson
Field he said.
we had pushed the Japs and
were lying low, waiting for the
army to take over when one OF my
buddies motioned to me
He looked up and saw the first
group Of a large japanese con-
tingent moving slowly toward him
through the Jungle. Some OF them
we're not more than 10 yards away.
Everyone started firing and
scattering" said Ross. The army
didn't have time to move up and
dig in before the Japanese had set
up their machine guns.
I couldn't leave. My best pal
had been hit in the leg and another
of our fellows was hit in the stom-
ach.
After helping the wounded pair
70 a shellhole. Barney dived into a
large mortar hole about six feet
wide with a heavy log protecting
one side. A third marine who was
shot in the knee craWled in with
Ross.
y made this guy as comfortable
as possible before two SoldlerS
mmped into the same hole with us.
1t was getting darker and dark
el-and the machine gun fire was
getting heavier and heavier by the
minute. I told the soldiers TO dlg
place for the wounded marine
while I kept watch.
Every time I poked my head un
machine gun bullets would g.
ricocheting off the log and bounce
off my helmet.
Il was told later that there we're
at least 80 burrows in my tin hat
Ross said he crept up behind the
loe and hurled all his grenadeS IN
the direction of the machine gun
fire while lying on his back.
The mortars started firing as
soon as it was dark" he said, and
we were afraid the Japs were gong
10 attack. I emptied about oo
rounds of ammunition from my rifle
and then took the guns from the
soldiers and emptied them.
Il fired while the soldiers reload
cd. We must have poured three
hundred rounds into those japanese
machine guns. -,
The four of them were in the
mortar hole for several hours when
4 began to rain, soaking them to
the skin.
we ran out of ammunition, ROSS
said, but the soldiers and had
Gu, bayonets and we were ready IN
case the Japanese attacked. we
| figured there was no real chance
q. getting out We were all scared
/ n death AL we could do was pray.