WW2 Fallen - 75 years ago today the 1st Marine Division departed from Guadalcanal. 774 marines did not.

General Alexander Vandegrift visited the 1st Marine Division Guadalcanal cemetery
before his division was pulled out on December 9, 1942.
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Seventy-five years ago today, on December 9, 1942, the 1st Marine Division commander General Alexander Vandegrift handed operational command of Guadalcanal to the Americal Division commander Sandy Patch. The 1st Marines were being relieved.

The 1st Marine Division lost 774 dead or missing on Guadalcanal. Before leaving the island, General Vandegrift stopped at a cleared area in the Lunga Point coconut groves. It was the location of Flanders Field, the cemetery where hundreds of his men were buried.

Vandegraft's grandfather had fought with General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg. Gazing over some many of the fallen, many whom he personally knew, Vandegraft recalled something that General Lee had once observed:

"What a cruel thing is war; to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of the beautiful world."

Thanks to the 1st Marine Division Guadalcanal fallen for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for these men who succeeded in turning the tide that would result in the defeat of Imperial Japan and a peace that has lasted more than seven decades.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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