Harold Grant Mathewson, Jr.

PFC Harold Mathewson served with Love Company, 8th Marines during the battle of Tarawa.

The amphibious assault on Betio, Tarawa atoll – Operation GALVANIC – commenced on 20 November 1943. The Third Battalion, 8th Marines were in reserve for the landing operation, but were ordered to stand by in their LCVPs and were afloat by 1015. At 1200, the battalion’s first wave began heading towards Beach Red 3 to support the heavily-engaged BLT 2-8.

Several hundred yards from the beach, the LCVPs slammed into a coral reef and stopped. Ramps went down, and Marines gamely jumped out into water over their heads. Some drowned, while the rest faced “heavy 40mm, machine gun, and mortar fire” that shredded their ranks. The following waves fared little better, and were driven off course to the west, landing on the pier or on Beach Red 2. Only about a hundred disorganized, demoralized men – less than a company – made it to shore. Over the next several hours, Captain Osborne “OK” LeBlanc organized enough men from Love and Item Companies to advance inland to the airstrip, where they held positions.

The Marines of BLT 3-8 used the following day to consolidate and strengthen their positions; no general assaults were made, but the men were under constant enemy fire – especially from the Burns-Philp wharf on their flank, and from snipers in the rear. Love Company suffered several fatal casualties: among them was PFC Mathewson. His official cause of death was “gunshot wounds received in action” – no further specifics of his death are known.