Nineteen Marine Raiders Who Finally Came Home

They say the Marines always recover their dead.

Marine C-130 aircraft used to recover the Marines from Makin. Photo courtesy: usmcraiders.com

(MAKIN ISLAND) - In 1999, U.S. government officials recovered the bodies of 19 Marine Raiders who were killed fighting on Makin Island in August, 1942. With the help of a local islander who actually remembered the Marine landing, they were finally recovered and brought home, almost six decades later.

The Raiders were the last Marine Corps unit to wear their unit designation patch on the shoulder of their uniform.

Under the command of two Marine Colonels, Evans Carlson and Merritt Edson, these Marines formed the two elite units that specialized in amphibious light infantry warfare in the Island Campaigns.

The Raiders were established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II as "Edson's" Raiders of 1st Marine Raiders Battalion, and "Carlson's" Raiders of 2nd Marine Battalion. The Raiders are considered to be the first United States Special Operations Forces to form and see combat in World War II.

This is the heart wrenching, true story of the recovery of the 19 Marines Killed in Action on Makin Island in WWII. The video is an awesome tribute to some of the United States' greatest fighting men.

It isn't a video you will soon forget.

Here is the list of those 2nd Raiders that were identifed and returned to their families by the CLHI, courtesy of usmcraiders.com:

Marine Raiders Recovered from Makin Island:
Field. Music 1st Vernon L. Castle, Stillwater, OK
Cpl. I. B. Earles, Tulare, CA
Pfc. William A. Gallagher, Wyandotte, MI
Cpl. Daniel A. Gaston, Galveston, TX
Pfc. Ashley W. Hicks, Waterford, CA
Capt. Gerald P. Holtom, Palo Alto, CA
Cpl. Harris J. Johnson, Little Rock, Iowa
Cpl. Kenneth K. Kunkle, Mountain Home, AK
Pvt. Carlyle O. Larson, Glenwood, MN
Cpl. Edward Maciejewski, Chicago, IL
Pvt. Robert B. Maulding, Vista, CA
Pfc . Kenneth M. Montgomery, Eden, WI
Pfc. Norman W. Mortensen, Camp Douglas, WI
Pvt. Franklin M. Nodland, Marshall town, IA
Cpl. Robert B. Pearson, Lafayette, CA
Pvt. Charles A. Selby, Ontonagon, MI
Pfc. John E. Vandenberg, Kenosha, WI
Cpl. , Mason O. Yarbrough, Sikeston, MO
Sgt. Clyde Thomason, Atlanta, Ga.

Video

To learn more about the full hour length documentary on the recovery of the Marines from Makin Island, please visit patmendoza.com.

The story is by Pat Mendoza, who also arranged the music. Trumpet is performed by Steve Wiest. The singers are the Islanders and Pat Mendoza.