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Luther Leru Rhodes

Private Luther L. “Dusty” Rhodes served with Company L, Third Battalion, 5th Marines during the Guadalcanal campaign.
He was killed in action during the Third Battle of the Matanikau on 7 October 1942.

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

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 327928

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.

History

Personal Summary

Luther Rhodes was born on 22 March 1924. He grew up on the family farm near Hendersonville, North Carolina, with his parents Harley and Lexine Rhodes, and nine brothers and sisters.

 

Luther knew at an early age that he wanted to join the service. When he turned seventeen – the minimum age for the Marine Corps – in 1941, Luther began campaigning for parental permission to enlist. “He begged our father to sign the papers for him,” recalled one of his sisters. Finally, Harley relented and Luther enlisted on 11 November 1941.

Service Details

Luther was still at Parris Island when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The rest of boot camp passed in a frenzy of activity, and on 29 January 1942 Private Rhodes was assigned to Company L, Third Battalion, 5th Marines.

Rhodes was 17, but looked even younger. “You’d probably guess his age to be anywhere between fourteen and seventeen, though most likely not more than sixteen,” commented Ore J. Marion. “He had a big shock of very light blond hair and a boyish face to go with it, and I don’t think he was old enough to shave.” A handful of Marines had a habit of harassing Rhodes, calling him “Chicken” and provoking him to fury. “He was a spunky kid and would flare up at his antagonizers, often going at them with fists flying,” continued Marion. Eventually, the tormenting got out of hand and a burly PFC named Larry “Hardrock” Gerkin broke up the fighting.

“I’ve watched you one-balled bastards pick on this kid since he came aboard,” Gerkin declared. “You’ve made him into a good fighter, but I’m telling you here and now that the next son of a bitch who gives this kid a hard time is going to irritate me. And if you irritate me, I promise to bust your fucking head wide open so everybody can see the shit that’s in your skull instead of brains.”

The bullying stopped immediately, and “Chicken” Rhodes was re-named “Dusty” Rhodes. Marion noted that from then on, Rhodes treated Gerkin as an older brother, and Gerkin in turn took “the kid” under his wing.

After completing training in New River, North Carolina, the 5th Marines deployed overseas – first to New Zealand, then to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Rhodes, who was now eighteen years old, quickly became a combat veteran and wrote regular letters to his family back home describing his exploits on the battlefield.

Loss And Burial

The Third Battalion, 5th Marines participated in the Third Battle of the Matanikau in early October 1942. On the afternoon of 7 October, they encountered a force of about 150 Japanese soldiers who had established a beachhead on the eastern (American-held) bank of the river. The battalion contained the beachhead and surrounded the Japanese positions late in the day, then prepared defensive positions for the night.

 

After dark, the Japanese attempted to break out of the trap by charging through 3/5. In the ensuing chaos and carnage, “Dusty” Rhodes was shot in the head and killed. His body was found in the field the following morning.

 

Eyewitnesses report that Rhodes’ body was recovered by friendly troops, identified by members of his platoon, and prepared for burial. However, official documents offer conflicting information as to where exactly the burial took place. Rhodes may have been brought to the 1st Marine Division Cemetery, or he may have been buried in the field.

Eyewitness Accounts

[PFC Larry “Hardrock”] Gerkin and I stood in the middle of a battlefield, the battle now ended, but the blood, death, moans, dismembered bodies, and general ugliness were all around us…. I saw Dusty Rhodes’ corporal and squad leader coming toward us. He spoke to Gerk.

“Larry, I’ve been looking for you.”
“Oh?” Gerk said. “How’s the kid?”
“That’s why I came over here, Gerk,” the corporal said. “I wanted you to know the kid got hit last night.”
“How bad?” Gerkin asked. “Will he be okay?”
“Look, Larry,” the corporal said. “It was dark, all hell was busting loose, and I don’t know what the hell happened.” He stopped talking for a second, then said, “He’s dead, Larry – and I just wanted to tell you personally.”

Gerkin didn’t say anything. He lowered his head and kicked at the dirt a couple times. He didn’t say anything at all, and I didn’t say anything either. There was nothing I could tell him. The only decent thing I could do was keep quiet and leave Gerk alone.

Finally Gerk looked up again and asked the corporal, “Where is he? Where’s the kid?”
“He’s over here a little way,” the corporal said.
Gerkin looked at me. “I’m gonna go take a look at him, Ore.”
“Okay, Larry,” I said. “Go ahead – No, wait. I’ll go with you.”

So we followed the corporal over to where his squad was situated, and as we got there, we saw the kid’s body.

Gerkin choked up and let out a sob. There in front of us, in the midst of all the dead and wounded, two men from the 2nd Platoon were rolling Dusty onto a poncho. My thought then, and my vivid memory sixty years later, was how white Dusty’s light blond hair looked as they wrapped him in the poncho.

Gerkin pulled himself together and went directly to the two men who were getting ready to take the kid’s body away. He said to them, “Don’t drop that kid while you’re moving him in that poncho. Don’t bump him on the ground, or I’ll kick the shit out of both of you.”

“Okay, Gerk,” one of them said quietly. “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of him.”

Larry wandered off somewhere, and it was about thirty minutes before he showed up again. I never heard him mention the kid again or say anything about him. Not ever. I understood his silence perfectly. It was the only way you could keep on going  and keep yourself from cracking up altogether. Death was everywhere, but to keep going, we had to push the dead out of our thoughts. And from that day on, I never heard anyone mention Dusty Rhodes’ name in Larry Gerkin’s presence….

Ore J. Marion, On The Canal: The Marines of L/3/5 on Guadalcanal, 1942

Decorations

Purple Heart

For wounds resulting in his death in action, 7 October 1942.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of Harley and Lexine Rhodes

Location Of Loss

Private Rhodes was killed in action on the eastern bank of the Matanikau River.

Related Profiles

Members of 3/5 non-recovered from the Third Matanikau action.
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