Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
Vondegrift
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were perhaps the hardest because
the japanese came over every day.
but afterward let down. with desul-
tory raids every few days
Gen Vandegrift explained that
perhaps the event that shook the
marines the most was a japanese
Navy bombardment of Guadalcanal
last October. which lasted for
hours and IS minutes. The ma
rines, he said. were shelled for that
entire period by IA and inch shells
from Jap warships off the coast.
Tells Of Fast Flight Home.
Gen Vandegrift, after leaving
Guadalcanal December 9, went to
Australia, where he conferred with
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, COM
mander of the American forces in
the Southwest Pacific. When he
turned over his command to Gen.
Patch on December 9, Gen Vande-
grift said. things had quoted down.
Il have since seen by the press. he
added, that the Japs have been
pushed westward and that Hender-
son Field is secure from ground
and artillery attacks"
At the outset of the press confer
ence Gen. Vandegrift remarked
about the fast time he had made
flying from Australia to Washington
The actual flying time, he explained.
was 49, hours and the elapsed time
was SO hours.
That's fast moving, even for a
marine" he remarked snilingly.
Gen. Vandegrift pointed out that
the war in the Southwest Pacific is
not comparable to the last war, when
troops had available to them rest
and recreation centers not far from
the front lines. s.s.ss
How They Lived at Front.
That wasn't unusual, since the
men on Guadalcanal had a mission
to do. and under that situation had
to stay out there until relieved"
Describing conditions on Guadal-
canal, Gen. Vandegrift explained
that men not on the defense lines
lived In improvised shacks and tents.
but those on the defense areas lived
in foxholeS with overhead covering
or IN trenches or in machine-gun
emplacements.
Men on the fighting front. he
said, were served two hot meals a
day, one at am. and the other
at pm but in the middle of the
day had only sandwiches to eat.
He explained that water was car
ried out to these men in water carts
or fiVe-gallon containers
These men just lived in the
places where they fought. They
worked all day and fought all night.
Practically all OF our lighting was
done at night"
Used Japs' Rations.
Gen Vandegrift said that when
the marines first landed on Quad
alcanal they supplemented their
own rations with Jap rations found
on the island These included. he
said, 5000 cases OF canned mush-
rooms, 1000 cases of what he de-
Scrlbed as delicious canned crab
meat and large quantity of corned
beef and rice
Gen. VandegIIft declared that no
one should underestimate the fight
ing ability OF the Japs in any way"
i don't know" he said. whether
you would call 1t bravery or fanati-
cism. But when the Jap has a lob
to do. he Will stay there and do it,
even though he knows he is to be
killed"
He also said that the laps are
experts at camouflage, and rather
than be captured committed hara-
klri. He cited instances also in
which japanese about to be captured
pulled out their guns and blew their
heads off
For that reason. Gen. Vandegrift
explained, not many prisoners we're
captured. All together he estimated
that not more than 500 were taken
prisoner during the four month
siege Of the island by the marines.
Most Of those captured. he said, were
wounded and nearly unconscious.
Gen. Vandegrift described the in
VaSlOn of Guadalcanal as the biggest
amphlbiOuS landing ever put on by
American troops prior to the inva
son OF North Africa He said all of
his men had been keenly interested
IN getting started and fortunately
enough. die get of to a good start
There IS not much difference in
TINS war than in previous battles in
which the marines have taken part
Gen, Vandegrift said. EXCEPT that
ii Is being fought in the jungles
AS an illustration he said
Take the Indian wars and bring
them up 10 date with modern
equipment and YOU have solution
in my opinion as how TO fight Jun
gle warfare"
The Japs timed their raids over
Guadalcanal so precisely Gen
Vandegrl1t said, that they came
over at the same time each dav
One result was, he remarked face
tlouSly, that the hour lunch
con Of the marines was changed
to accommodate them
Col. Gerald Thomas of Blooming
ton, ILL.,. attended the press confer
ence with Gen. Vandegrlft. who in
PRODUCED him as right hand man
throughout the Solomons campaign.
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