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George Michael Joseph Berwanger

Sergeant George M. J. Berwanger served with George Company, Second Battalion, 5th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 8 October 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 250176

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

January 7, 1918
at Balboa, Panama

Parents

Michael Berwanger (d. 1944)
Magdalene (Stecker) Berwanger (d. 1930)

Education

High school graduate
Details unknown

Occupation & Employer

Brakeman
Reading Railroad

Service Life

Entered Service

October 7, 1935
at Philadelphia, PA

Home Of Record

7125 Charles Street
Philadelphia, PA

Next Of Kin

Father, Michael Berwanger

Military Specialty

Squad Leader

Primary Unit

G/2/5th Marines

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Berwanger was on inactive reserve duty from 8 October 1939 to 1 February 1941.

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

George Berwanger, a long-serving reservist with six years of experience, served as a squad leader in George Company, 5th Marines. He saw combat at Tulagi and on Guadalcanal, including a disastrous attempt to cross the Matanikau River in late September 1942 where his company suffered heavily in a failed assault.

On 7 October 1942, the 5th Marines departed their bivouac and marched towards the Matanikau once again. The Second Battalion experienced a few minor contacts during the day, and took up positions near the riverbank that evening. Early the next morning, Easy and George Companies began moving south towards a crossing near the East-West Trail. Japanese troops knew the area well, and set up a strong series of defensive emplacements at a fork in the Matanikau. George Company was ordered to circle around these emplacements and wipe them out.

John Hersey, a combat correspondent attached to H/2/5th Marines for the operation, described the firefight in his book “Into The Valley.”

We heard one of our guns knocked out. It you have never heard a conversation between to machine guns which are trying to knock each other out, you cannot imagine what a terrible debate it is. At first they talk back and forth equally. Then as in most human arguments, one begins to get the upper hand and finally winds up doing all the talking. This was how it was when our gun was knocked out.... And then silence. It was awful.

John Hersey, "Into The Valley"

Hersey identified the gunner as “Sergeant Bauer” of “George or Easy Company.” Later, he assisted a badly wounded Marine (renamed “Charlie Utley”) who, in the depths of a morphine haze, began worrying about “Bauer.” To keep the Marine’s attention focused on the walk back to safety, Hersey asked questions about the fighting. “Utley,” a machine gunner, said Bauer was his sergeant, “a rugged kind of guy,” and that his squad set up their gun on the bank of the Matanikau to cover a crossing. Unfortunately, the Japanese had the spot zeroed in. “No use to the whole thing from the beginning,” said Utley.

We no more'n begun to approach-fire, see, when the Japs put it right on us and we couldn't see where the hell they was at. We tried the best we could but it wasn't much use to it. They had us and we didn't have them not in the least/ Then this grenade or mortar or some goddamn thing it hit us. Oh gee, that was something bad. All white, see, it made your eyes to. And a hell of a noise like I never heard and I hope to die I never do again. Well see it knocked us around like a bunch of damn alley pins....

Bauer, the damn fool, I shouldn't say that, you wouldn't find a better man, he lay there hurt like the rest of us behind this mound but then he got up and said: "I'll show those sonsabitches," and ran right on down and he was just turning the gun right-side to when another one of those big damn things came and landed right behind him, oh jiminy, it was awful. You see we could see his back was all blood and I guess he was dead.

Based on available casualty reports, it is almost certain that “Sergeant Bauer” was, in fact, Sergeant Berwanger of G/2/5th Marines. He was reported as killed in action as of 8 October 1942, and buried in the field. Although his muster roll noted that he died of gunshot wounds in the head, Marine Corps casualty records state that “concussion and wounds from hand grenade” were the culprit.

Excerpt from the muster roll of G/2/5, October 1942.
Burial Information or Disposition

Hersey followed up on the story of “Bauer” after returning to safety. A group of corpsmen and stretcher-bearers went back down the East-West Trail under cover of darkness and found Bauer near the Matanikau riverbank – “he was conscious, but that was about all.” They laboriously carried the wounded man through the pitch black night until the trail became too steep; some men went to fetch help, while others waited with Bauer.

Men who are wounded do not talk rhetorically; famous last words are usually edited after the fact. Bauer's sentences were simple requests: "Help me sit up, will you please, oh God my stomach..." Then when he was up he hurt more than ever, so he said: "No, no, I've got to lie down, do it slowly."

Then Bauer whispered: "Say, fellows, would you help me to take a crap? My stomach hurts, if I could just take a crap." Afterwards he felt a little better. He leaned back seeming to be exhausted. For a few moments his head tossed quickly from side to side. Then he said very softly, "I wish I could sleep." The wish was fulfilled: he dropped off in apparent peace. He gave a few short breaths and then just stopped breathing.

A map overlay places Sergeant Berwanger’s grave some distance east of the Matanikau fork where he was wounded – further strengthening the connection between his story and “Bauer.” Unfortunately, when Graves Registration troops attempted to find the site, no trace of Berwanger’s burial could be found.

Map overlay showing Berwanger's grave on Guadalcanal. Unit designation "K/3/2" is an error.
Map orientation is South-North.
Memorials

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Next Of Kin Address

Address of father, Mr. Michael Berwanger.

Location Of Loss

Approximate location of Berwanger’s burial site, east of the Matanikau.

Gallery

Berwanger's Selective Service registration, filled out while he was on inactive duty in 1940.
George Berwanger's dental records reveal several unique characteristics, including a distinctive gold bridge.
Sergeant Berwanger's casualty card. Note that the burial location and cause of death differ from the information on the muster roll.
The Scranton Tribune, 5 December 1942.
Case history compiled during the search for George Berwanger's body. Note the description of the burial one mile WEST of the Matanikau – in fact, the correct direction was EAST and the record keepers read their map upside down. Map overlay inserted below is north-south oriented.
George's older brother, Joseph Berwanger (center) served in the Marine Corps from 1936-1954.

Related Profiles

Marines of 2/5 non-recovered from the Third Matanikau action.

Edward J. Ciazkinski

Easy Company
Killed In Action
7 October 1942

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Robert E. Schantz

Easy Company
Killed In Action
8 October 1942

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Ingvard T. Aasvik

George Company
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George M. J. Berwanger

George Company
Killed In Action
8 October 1942

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1 thought on “George M. J. Berwanger”

  1. Craig Slothour
    Reply

    I am a decendant of Sgt George Berwanger and only recently found this page. He was my mothers uncle and I remember my mother and her three sisters talking about Uncle George when I was a kid. I never knew a lot of this information. I had read John Herseys book ‘Into the valley’ many years ago. My grandmothers maiden name was Berwanger. He often crosses my mind especially with all the craziness going on in our country and I think of his sacrifice and the sacrifices made by countless Americans to protect this amazing country we have. Thank you so much.

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