Robert Herschel Ballew
Gunnery Sergeant Robert H. Ballew served with Fox Company, Second Battalion, 7th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 8 October 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 200796
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.
History
Robert Herschel Ballew was born in Georgia on 27 September 1908. He was the youngest child of Charles Thomas and Cora Holloway Ballew – and also the last, for Charles died in March 1910, at the young age of thirty-five. Cora was left to raise Minnie, Charlie, Ralph, and Robert virtually alone. When she passed away in 1917, the oldest of the children was just thirteen years old.
What happened next for the surviving Ballews is not easily determined. Within a few years of Cora’s death, Minnie was married and living in North Carolina; Charles eventually embarked on a career in shipping. Thee two younger boys opted for the military. Ralph – who restyled himself as “Ralph Balleaux” – enlisted in the Coast Artillery Corps in 1925, impressed officers with his military bearing, and even tested for acceptance to West Point. He eventually left the Army for the Coast Guard and served as a senior radioman until 1951.
Robert was barely seventeen at most when Ralph left for the Army, and may have tried to enlist with his brother. If he did, he was rebuffed: Robert was underage, and clearly did not have his family’s blessing for he ran away from home in the summer of 1925. He walked into a Marine Corps recruiting station on 12 August and volunteered his service; when asked his age, he simply said “eighteen.” From then on, all of Robert’s military paperwork bore “1906” under date of birth.
Adjusting to military life was challenging for Private Ballew; he endured the hardship of being the youngest man in the platoon, all the while knowing that a single slip about his age could result in a trial and discharge for “fraudulent enlistment.” He persevered and earned his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor along with the simple badge of a rifle marksman. Specialty training was next; Private Ballew spent a solid four months at Cooks & Bakers School, but was dropped at the end of February 1926 as “unqualified.” Hoping for better fortunes overseas, Ballew boarded the USS Henderson and sailed for Cuba, where he joined a company at the Guantanamo Bay naval station. He failed to impress his superiors there as well, being written up for “disobedience of orders” and “being dirty at inspection” within days – infractions that carried sentences of confinement on bread and water and extra police duties. The rest of the year passed mostly without incident for Private Ballew.
In January 1927, Ballew joined the 77th Machine Gun Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines, and boarded the USS Argonne. He was bound for another nation – Nicaragua – and disembarked at Bluefields on January 11. For the next six days, he and his company “participated in establishing and enforcing a Neutral Zone for the protection of lives and interests of the United States and foreign citizens at Rama, Nicaragua” – the beginning of the second US intervention in the troubled region.
For the remainder of the year, Private Ballew traveled to various hotspots in Nicaragua, often on detached duty with one of the 5th Marines’ many companies. Although his disciplinary issues continued (he was court-martialed for some unknown offense in December) Ballew was proving himself as a fighter. From January 6-22, 1928 he participated in a special combat patrol against El Chipote – the home base of the Sandinistas – an American reaction to the battle of Las Cruces. Ballew would have completed the campaign had he not fallen ill enough to be hospitalized for the next two months. He was transferred from the 45th Company to the 17th, and spent the rest of the year in Granada and Juigalpa with the 1st Battalion.
Private Ballew returned to the United States in January 1929. The last eight months of his enlistment were spent at the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC – that August, Ballew left the Corps with a character rating of “Very Good” thanks to his earlier indiscretions. Late 1929 was not a good time to change careers in America, and by mid-1930, Ballew had decided to return to the Marines. He began his second enlistment in New Orleans on 5 May 1930, and within two months was back in Nicaragua with the Electoral Detachment, Second Marine Brigade.
Ballew spent the first six months of 1931 in New Orleans as a post fireman for the city’s naval base; the latter half at Naval Operating Base Key West, Florida. Over the next eighteen months, he appeared on the muster rolls of the service battalion at Quantico, the 53rd Machine Gun Company in Haiti, and the 2nd Marines in Cuba. He developed into a talented shooter, and in early 1933 Ballew was named as a candidate for the Marine Corps competitive rifle and pistol team. He traveled back to Quantico for qualification and competition; between matches, he coached other Marines on Quantico’s .22, .30, and .45 caliber pistol ranges.
When the season ended, Private Ballew was once again ordered overseas. He arrived in Shanghai, China in February 1934 – and got himself into hot water within 24 hours. His China service was relatively short; the Corps recalled Private Ballew to Quantico as a range coach after just a year overseas. Despite his obvious talents – and a decade of experience spanning two tours – Ballew’s questionable disciplinary record kept him a perpetual private.
On 1 October 1936, Ballew finally received his first stripe. The next month, he deployed to Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines, completing the classic triumvirate of inter-war service for a career Marine. Duty at Cavite agreed with Robert Ballew; he spent a good amount of time on the rifle range and was even promoted to corporal in March 1937. He returned to Shanghai in September, joining the Second Battalion, 4th Marines.
Ballew served in China until March 1939, maintaining a good disciplinary record and competing in the Asiatic division’s rifle competitions. He joined the First Battalion, 6th Marines in San Diego, a unit with more than its share of exceptional shooters, and was promoted to Sergeant by the year’s end. Over the next few months, Ballew served with the 6th, 8th, and 5th Marines in California, reenlisted for his third hitch, and received his second Good Conduct medal. In January 1941, he became a platoon sergeant in Fox Company, Second Battalion, 7th Marines – his home for the rest of his life.
This is COMPANY F, SECOND BATTALION, SEVENTH MARINES, making the headlines for the first time... organized on the first of January, 1941, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with one platoon from Company “F,” Second Battalion, Fifth Marines.
Our officers include First Lieutenant O. M. Conoley as company commander, First Lieutenant S. W. Meredith (USMCR), Second Lieutenant T. P. E. Gougelmann, Second Lieutenant S. W. Meredith (USMCR) and Second Lieutenant R. E. Farrel (USMCR). Senior NCOs, are first Sergeants John Herregodts, Walter G. Steil, Gunnery Sergeant Emmett W. Orr and Platoon Sergeants Robert H. Ballew, James B. Galloway and Andrew E. Craigie.
Since the company’s organization, its rolls have been increasing rapidly with Regulars from the Recruit Depot and Reserves from the Marine Barracks in Quantico, Virginia. We hope and feel that the new men will swing in and work with our company to keep it a good one.
Our newest promotions are: Sergeant Robert H. Ballew to Platoon Sergeant, Privates Raymond V. Kelley and Charles C. Karp to Private First Class. Congratulations are extended to them.
With the company considerably over-strength and every one trying to get squared away, there is little opportunity for any special activities but training still goes on. With nothing to look forward to, for the next few weeks but maneuvers, Company “F” can’t be too enthusiastic about life. We are scheduled for about six weeks of maneuvering over on the Island of Culebra. I am pretty sure that the fellows’ only thought of getting started is mostly to hit some good liberty ports in Puerto Rico.
Ballew and the 7th Marines were in New River, North Carolina on 7 December 1941; they immediately went on alert and prepared for an immediate departure, but when no orders were forthcoming returned to their training routine – with more purpose than they had before the attack. In April, the regiment departed for the Pacific, but instead of going into an offensive operations were stationed in Samoa to provide a garrison force and continue their training in an appropriately tropical environment. During this time, Ballew was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and served in the role of company First Sergeant. He cut an impressive figure for the young Marines of Fox Company. PFC Robert Magnan recalled that “Ballew had been in the Marines for eighteen years and, tough as boot leather, seemed destined to serve another eighteen.”
With their sister regiments striking back at the Japanese on Guadalcanal, many in the 7th Marines who were anxious to get into the fight. Their wish was granted in September, 1942; they shipped out from Samoa and landed on the ‘Canal on 18 September only to be subjected to a fierce shelling by the Japanese navy on their first night. The First Battalion was put into action almost immediately, while Second contented itself with combat patrols.
On October 7, 1942, Fox Company joined a push towards the Matanikau River. They would follow a smaller strike force of snipers and an attached rifle battalion (known as the “Whaling Group” after its leader) and exploit any breakthrough in a hope to flank a strong Japanese position that was preventing any crossing of the river. Such, at least, was the plan.
PFC Magnan recalled the day’s breakfast – sliced pineapples, Navy beans, chipped beef on toast, rice pudding with raisins, crackers, and coffee. With the supply situation on Guadalcanal still in a shambles, this was quite the feast. Then, to the rear, the artillery of the 11th Marines opened up in bombardment. Company F moved out along the Government Trail and engaged in a running skirmish with Japanese scouts as they marched. Finally ordered to stop a few hundred yards from the Matanikau, the Marines were only too happy to strip off their gear and rest their feet.
A cold, drenching rain woke Fox Company on 8 October 1942. Hungry, tired, and miserable, Fox Company huddled under their ponchos in a vain attempt to stay warm and dry. Unfortunately, the weather could not stop the war entirely, and there was work to be done. PFC Magnan took a scouting patrol out towards the Matanikau River; at around noon, they could see friendly Marines of the Whaling Group operating on the opposite bank.
At 1400 hours, Fox Company crossed the Matanikau River and began advancing up the ridges on the western bank. The point platoon under 2Lt. Prentice Hatch ran into Japanese resistance on a small north-south ridge at about 1600 hours. “Enemy rifle, machine-gun, and mortar fire from the woods to their immediate front” was countered by “small arms, ten rounds of 60mm mortar ammunition and six rifle grenades.” Lieutenant Hatch was felled with a mortal wound; five enlisted men were treated by corpsmen.
Robert Ballew journeyed thousands of miles around the world during his time in the Corps – and it ended in the wrong place at the wrong time. A mortar shell landed beside him, riddling Fox Company’s salty old Gunny with bits of shrapnel. He succumbed of his wounds that evening, delivering one final lesson to his young charges: death could strike anywhere, at any time.
Gunnery Sergeant Robert Ballew.... was gone, his bright red blood splattered upon the indifferent green leaves. A number of men stood frozen at first, viewing the sprawled, lifeless body. It was the first time Magnan had seen a corpse that was not reposing peacefully in an open coffin, face heavily made up, death masked beneath cosmetics. He felt the gorge rise in his throat, and he had to turn away….
It mattered little that the 7th Marines was an elite group, the best damned outfit in the best division under the leadership of the best of the Old Breed. It didn’t mean a thing that the 7th had arrived on the Canal already tanned and acclimated to the jungle, unlike the 1st and 2nd Regiments. It was clear that they would all have to get used to death. It was not pretty, and it was not glorious.
When translated from the clerical shorthand, the muster roll entry informs us that Ballew was killed on Guadalcanal (codenamed: Cactus), he died as the result of enemy action and not through fault of his own, and had he been discharged he would have been rated of Excellent character. The following day, he was given a field burial at specific coordinates on Map #104 – the standard grid in use during the campaign.
Robert Ballew’s name appeared on casualty lists in November 1942; he requested Mr. Harry Milton McAvoy – formerly Corporal McAvoy of the 4th Marines, a friend from China duty – to be notified as his next of kin. The news reached New York City and caught the attention of Charles Jefferson Ballew. He wrote a letter to Marine Corps Headquarters inquiring about the casualty report – could it possibly be his younger brother? “He has been missing since 1925,” Charles noted. “Please let us know.” An affirmative answer was returned; the three Ballews finally knew the fate of their youngest sibling. A memorial headstone was placed in Mount Pisgah Cemetery, Fairburn, Georgia, beside the weathered markers for Charles and Cora Ballew. His name was also inscribed at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines.
In the late 1940s, the Army Graves Registration Service made two visits to Guadalcanal in order to retrieve the remains of the missing. Robert Ballew was designated “Case 716” and seven other Marines were reported buried in the vicinity. “The area is difficult to reach,” noted the 1947 AGRS report, “and shows few signs of occupancy after the battle. There are numerous foxholes on the ridges and in the ravine between the two finger ridges.” The AGRS team found one body (“Isolated Burial #2”) in the vicinity, but nothing else. While Isolated #2 was approximately Ballew’s age, other physical characteristics suggested he was a Japanese soldier.
The case was not totally hopeless, however. Subsequent searches turned up two more isolated burials; these men were identified as PFCs Lawson and McGettrick. In 1970, the wife of a forestry official on Guadalcanal stumbled upon skeletal remains and an identification tag, and five more Marines were exhumed and returned to the United States for a group burial. Of Fox Company’s field burials – Gunny Ballew, PFC Robert Eberle, and PFC Hugh Strickland – nothing has been found.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of friend, Mr. Harry McAvoy
Location Of Loss
Ballew was killed on a ridge west of the Matanikau RIver.
My Grandfather is Charles Ballew. He told me about his brother Robert Hershel Ballew. I would be interested to know if they find my Great Uncle’s remains. If they do, what actions will take place afterwards?