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Paul John Johnson

Private Paul J. Johnson served with Baker Company, First Battalion, 7th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 September 1942.

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

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 354199

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 10, 1925
at Albany, NY

Parents

Frank Johnson
Catherine (Plein) Johnson

Education

Details unknown

Occupation & Employer

Details unknown

Service Life

Entered Service

January 21, 1942
at Syracuse, NY

Home Of Record

1689 Seymour Avenue
Utica, NY

Next Of Kin

Father, Mr. Frank Johnson

Military Specialty

Primary Unit

B/1/7th Marines

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

On 27 September 1942, a detachment of the First Battalion, 7th Marines under the command of Major Otho L. Rogers made an amphibious landing on the beach just west of Point Cruz, Guadalcanal. This complicated maneuver was a bold attempt to flank Japanese defensive positions along the Matanikau River, establish a foothold in enemy territory, and allow other Marines to force their way across – possibly turning the tide of battle along Guadalcanal’s northern coast.

Rogers’ men landed without incident and advanced inland to a grassy ridge designated “Hill 84.” The plan quickly fell apart: fast-moving Japanese troops counterattacked, and a mortar shell killed Rogers as he tried to establish a perimeter. With few heavy weapons and no radio, the Marines fought their way back to the beach, suffering heavy casualties all the while. Brave Coast Guardsmen arrived in landing craft to extract the battalion. The ignominy of withdrawal was not lost on the Marines, who bitterly nicknamed the battle “Little Dunkirk.”

Seventeen-year-old Private Paul Johnson was one of four Marines from B/1/7 to lose his life on 27 September. He was last seen alive on the retreat route, in heavy jungle near the beach.

Excerpt from the muster roll of B/1/7, September 1942. Although Burris, Hoffman, Johnson and Meyer were all killed at approximately the same time and vicinity, only two of the bodies were recovered from the field.
Burial Information or Disposition

The Marines, hard-pressed to evacuate their wounded, were forced to leave the bodies of the fallen on the field. “Not recovered due to battle conditions” was entered on the muster roll. At a later date, the notation “Buried in common grave with 16 others on west bank, mouth of Matanikau River” was added to the casualty cards of fourteen men. Private Johnson was included in this number.

In the years after the battle for Little Dunkirk, several remains were retrieved from the field; Ralph Harless and Kenneth Quist, both of A/1/7, were subsequently identified. Post-war search efforts focused on the reported mass grave near the Matanikau, but locals reported that the river mouth “covered an area almost twice the size it was originally,” and no clues were found.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of father, Mr. Frank Johnson

Location Of Loss

Private Johnson was last seen in the vicinity of Hill 84, Guadalcanal.

Related Profiles

Marines non-recovered from "Little Dunkirk"
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