Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-07

ward S. Rust of Detroit, Mich,
blew out the emplacement, killing
eight Japanese in the trench, with
an extraordinarily accurate throw
of a rife grenade at twice the dis
lance for which the grenade is
tested.
Another hero was Pfc. Nicholas
Sileo of Brooklyn. N. Y, who al
though two fingers bad been shot
from one ham continued to fire
his rifle at a machine gun en-
placement, furnishing such excel
lent covering fine that marines
were able 10 advance close TO the
emplacement. and drive out the
japanese. who were then killed in
hand to hand fighting.
ENEMY ROUTED
When Captain Spurlock's men
had reached position on the edge
of the village. after pushing
through the heaviest resistance, IL
became evident that the Japanese
were about TO counter-attack.
Captain Spurlock hastily CONSOLE
dated his lines, and when the JapsI
whooping and shouting.
about 100 strong. they were met
with heavy and accurate fire. The
Japs were routed, and many Of
them killed.
Two of the marines who did ex-
cellent work in resisting the coun-
ter attack were Pvt. Frederick
Norcross. and Pvt. Lawrence Ger
kin OF Washington. d. c.
Gerkin, a burly former sandhog.
firing carefully and calmly, killed
many Japs with his rife. Norcross.
though wounded in the chest. con-
tinued to shoot accurately at the
charging enemy. Many OF our
men. finding a prone position hin
dered their firing. stood and fired
offhand. at great personal risk.
swIMs MESSAGE IN
The japanese counter attack
was routed, but Captain Spurlock
feared there were many more Japs
strongly entrenched at the far
edge of the village of Matanikau.
So. Charles c. Arndt of Oklona,
Miss. who had swum back from
an earlier expedition against Ma
tanikau with word of the need for
reinforcements, offered to repeat
his feat.
He swan down the Matanikau
and out to the landing boats which
had showed off and were returning
TO base. Just as Arndt arrived at
the boats and conveyed his mes
sage, the boats were strafed by a
plane from one of the japanese
cruisers. Arndt leaped into the
water and swan back to shore.
FULFILLS HIS VOW
On his earlier expedition 10 Ma
tanikau. Arndt had killed three
Japs. and sworn he would live to
kill more. Now. to round out his
plan of revenge, he killed eight
more Japs, picking them of one
by one with his rife.
After the japanese counter
attack had been broken, there was
less resistance to the American
advance, and Captain Spurlock was
able to lead his troops, after elimi-
mating some additional snipers,
into the village.
Then the Americans counted So
japanese bodies in the vicinity.
They had killed seven the day be-
fore. That brought the total to
60. American losses were small byI
contrast: four killed, 10 wounded,
one missing.
FIND LITTLE FoQR
Captain Spurlock found little
food in the village. Evidently the
japanese were running low in that
commodity. There were vast
quantities of cracked cocoanutI
shells strewn on the ground, and
some beef. evidently slaughtered
in the field.
Captain Hardy,s- troops mean
while. had successfully penetrated
the village of Kokumbona. At first
few moments after his troops
had landed, there had been ma
chine gun fire from Kokumbona.
Then, apparently, the Japanese
troops had withdrawn. But snipersI
remained behind to direct haras-
sing fire from trees as the Ameri-
cap troops advanced