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Edward M. Spear

NAME
Edward Marion Spear
NICKNAME
SERVICE NUMBER
314346
UNIT
Company E
Second Battalion
8th Marines
HOME OF RECORD
427 Bates Street, St. Louis, MO
NEXT OF KIN
Guardian, Mr. Felix Zeller
DATE OF BIRTH
July 14, 1922
ENTERED SERVICE
August 4, 1941
DATE OF LOSS
November 21, 1942
REGION
Solomon Islands
CAMPAIGN / AREA
Guadalcanal
CASUALTY TYPE
Killed In Action
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS
PFC Edward M. Spear served with Company E, 8th Marines, during the Guadalcanal campaign.

On 21 November 1942, the Second Battalion, 8th Marines was instructed to send E Company forward to fill a gap in the lines between two Army battalions – 2/182 and 3/164. “The time and space factors involved in moving troops cross country through jungle and over stiff terrain were greatly misjudged,” stated the 8th Marines’ report, noting that the trip of a few hundred yards took nearly three and a half hours.

At some point during this maneuver, PFC Spear was killed in action. His remains were buried in the field, but the spot could not be located by later search parties.

INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS
Purple Heart
LAST KNOWN RANK
Private First Class
STATUS OF REMAINS
Buried in the field,
vicinity of (69.3-199.3),
North Coast Guadalcanal
MEMORIALS
Manila American Cemetery

Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for more information about this Marine.


Articles & Records:

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