John Albert Harley

Towards the end of December, the Second Battalion 2nd Marines was ordered to feel out Japanese defenses in their area of the Matanikau sector on Guadalcanal. The combat mission commenced at 0600 on 27 December. At 1130, the rifle companies halted and each sent out a reinforced platoon to probe the Japanese front lines. They did not have far to go; the first shots were fired at 1145, and within the hour, all three patrols were engaged.

Battalion headquarters recalled the patrols; a “desultory” firefight followed, escalating into a “very sharp skirmish” from about 1430 to 1630 hours. “They received fire from a conservative estimate of 25 machine guns on the high ground to the south, which were firing down the valleys running generally northwest,” reads a report of the action. Japanese mortars, artillery, and flat-trajectory fire added to the chaos, and the enemy troops – estimated strength between 300 and 400 – were described as “well fed, well clothed, and well equipped.”

Finally, the Marines broke contact and returned to their lines, pleased with the day’s operation. “Japanese front lines were thoroughly scouted and valuable inforamtion picked up as to location of troops and tactics used,” notes their Record of Events. They also inflicted serious damage: 110 Japanese soldiers “known dead,” plus wounded “estimated to be a large number.”

Pharmacist’s Mate Third Class John A. Harley must have been busy on 27 December, as the battalion suffered eighteen Marines wounded and nine killed in action. Unfortunately, Harley would belong to the latter tally before the day was out. A Japanese bullet caught him in the neck, and the twenty-year-old “Doc” died in the field.