Raymond Henry Maassen

Private Raymond Maassen joined the Marine Corps from Syracuse along with two other upstate New Yorkers – Albert “Ozzie” DePasquale, and Gordon R. Stewart. The boys trained together and were assigned to G/2/5th Marines for overseas deployment. By mid-September 1942, “Bud” Maasen was a veteran of landings on Tulagi, combat patrols on Guadalcanal, and the battle for Edson’s Ridge. He was the first of the friends to be wounded in action; a bullet to the backside sent him from the Ridge to the Division hospital, but by16 September Maassen was back with his platoon.

On September 25, Maassen’s battalion was ordered to saddle up and head into the boondocks to support a friendly combat patrol. They were placed under the temporary command of LtCol. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, and patrolled west towards the Matanikau River. They followed the eastern bank towards the river’s mouth and attempted to cross over a sandspit on the morning of 26 September. Japanese defenders knocked back scouts from Easy Company, and the Marines formed up along the bank to force their way across.

Captain Tom Richmond’s George Company was ordered to lead the assault across the spit. “The roof caved in,” recalled First Sergeant Francis Lieberman.  “They shot machine guns, mortars – goddamn, they used everything.” An entire squad was mowed down in moments; the rest of George Company scrambled for any available cover.