World War II Honoree

Edward Swift Ahrens

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Oakland, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: PRIVATE. HE WAS A UNITED STATES MARINE, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. SERVED WITH THE 2ND PLATOON, BRAVO COMPANY, 1ST BATTALION, 2ND MARINES, SECOND MARINE ‘THE SILENT SECOND’ DIVISION. ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1942 THE 1ST BATTALION WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE ISLAND OF TULAGI TO GUADALCANAL BY YARD PATROL ‘YP’ BOATS, EACH TOWING FOUR HIGGINS BOATS. WHILE GETTING UNDERWAY, THE BOAT CARRYING HIS PLATOON BEGAN EXPERIENCING TROUBLE IN THE BOW WHILE PULLING THREE OTHER HEAVILY LOADED BOATS. WHEN THE SPEED OF THE YARD PATROL BOAT WAS INCREASED, THE FRAGILE PLYWOOD CRAFT BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THEN, WITH A TERRIBLE CRACKING SOUND, IT SPLIT IN HALF, CAPSIZING THE BOAT. FIFTEEN MARINES SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES UNDERWATER, FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES IN THE COLD WATER AND ALL DROWNED IN THE SEALARK CHANNEL. HE WAS REPORTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, LOST AT SEA FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1942 AND MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING AT THE MANILA AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, LOCATED AT FORT BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND THE GUADALCANAL AMERICAN MEMORIAL LOCATED ON SKYLINE DRIVE OVERLOOKING THE TOWN OF HONIARA, GUADALCANAL. DECORATION AND CITATION: PURPLE HEART. THIS MARINE, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.