Haven Raymond Grover
Corporal Haven R. “Hank” Grover served with Headquarters Company, Second Battalion, 1st Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 14 September 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 255972
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
September 2, 1918
at Akron, OH
Parents
William Owen Grover (d. 1935)
Olga Isobel (Barnes) Grover
Education
High school graduate
Occupation & Employer
Professional Marine
Service Life
Entered Service
December 3, 1936
at Chicago, IL
Home Of Record
3312 Shirley Road
Youngstown, OH
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Olga G. Grover
Military Specialty
—
Primary Unit
HQ/2/1st Marines
Campaigns Served
Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
The sector held by the Second Battalion, 1st Marines was relatively quiet on 14 September 1942. On previous nights, strong Japanese attacks hit the lines of 3/1st Marines and the reinforced Raider line up on Edson’s Ridge. While those units rested and tended to their wounded by day, others mounted combat patrols to discover where the Japanese might be hiding in the jungle.
Corporal Haven “Hank” Grover was involved in one such small-unit action. According to family lore, Grover’s squad encountered a pair of machine gun positions out in the boondocks; as the leader, Hank directed fire to eliminate the threats. As he stood to signal an advance, a third machine gun opened fire and killed him on the spot.
Burial Information or Disposition
Grover’s Marine Corps casualty card notes that his remains were interred at a specific point on “Map 101,” the standard grid used by the 1st Marines at this point of the battle. Unfortunately, the coordinates given – “65.114, 67.115” – do not intersect on the grid system. The resulting area is approximately 4,000 square yards. A map overlay, if one still exists, may help to narrow down the exact location of Grover’s grave.
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Olga Grover.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of Corporal Grover’s burial site.
Thank you for this information. Haven, or Hank as he was known, was my uncle. His Marine photo, his Purple Heart award, and a letter of recognition from Franklin D. Roosevelt for his sacrifice (KIA September 14, 1942 – Guadalcanal) are prominent in my office.