Joseph Paul Corriggio
PFC Joseph P. “Cager” Corriggio served with Dog Company, First Battalion, 5th Marines.
He was killed in action near Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, on 1 November 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 342841
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered.
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
July 11, 1918
at Bellevue, OH
Parents
Carmelo “Carl” Corrigio
Carmella “Nellie” (Agnello) Corrigio
(died 1933)
Education
Bellevue Central High School (1936)
Occupation & Employer
Construction worker
Service Life
Entered Service
January 2, 1942
at Cleveland, OH
Home Of Record
209 Harrison Street
Bellevue, OH
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Carl Corriggio
Military Specialty
Machine Gunner
Primary Unit
D/1/5th Marines
Campaigns Served
Guadalcanal
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 1 November 1942, the 5th Marines opened the “Matanikau Offensive” by forcing their way across Guadalcanal’s Matanikau River. Their First Battalion crossed near the river’s mouth using footbridges built under cover of darkness, and began advancing west at 0630 hours. The first two hours passed without opposition – but the morning would not stay quiet for long.
At 0840, Charlie Company reported receiving machine gun fire from their front and right flank. Casualties mounted quickly as the Marines attempted to break through a well-camouflaged Japanese defensive line running through a ravine west of Point Cruz. Machine gun sections from Dog Company deployed to provide supporting fire, but quickly became targets themselves.
If those snipers were hot before, they were sizzling now. It was awful. We're setting up this machine gun and the place is alive with Japanese. They're popping out everywhere. They had their guns all over the place, their mortars up in front, and the shells were whizzing around like bees.... They weren't fooling. They got every one of my fourteen men, killed or wounded them.
PFC Joseph Corriggio, a first-generation American born to Sicilian immigrants, was a member of a machine gun squad in the section led by Corporal Anthony Casamento. As they attempted to deploy their water-cooled Browning, Japanese gunners opened fire from the front and on the flank. The deadly crossfire trapped Corporal Lewis R. Robarts‘ squad in a helpless position. “Our squad was surrounded completely by the enemy,” recalled Private Michael Ciaverelli, “we found ourselves under very heavy machine gun and mortar fire that the Japanese were laying down continuously until every man in our squad was either killed or wounded.” Robarts, Casamento, and Corriggio were the first to go down.
“Joe was a very brave Marine and one that I was very proud to have known,” wrote Anthony Casamento in 1980. “He did not suffer that day he was killed, he died about 10 AM [the] day we were hit by a Japanese battalion…. this day was the saddest day of my life when so many of the brave Marines from my section were killed.”
Baker Company was called up from reserve to assist, secured the left flank, and helped push the last 250 yards towards the first objective line. As Dog Company personnel reached the scene of battle, they beheld a terrible sight.
As reserve machine gun platoon commander, I went forward to reconnoiter for suitable machine gun positions. I saw Casamento at his gun position. All of his men and those of C Company in his sector were dead or wounded. Casamento was riddled by small arms fire but was still at his gun....
I went forward of our lines with PFC Williams to Shaner's gun position which had been attached to C Company. It was in a shell hole but both Shaner's gunner and his assistant were dead. We put the gun out of action and returned to our lines. Shaner's gunner had not had time to fire a full belt before he was killed.
Burial Information or Disposition
On November 2, 1942, 1/5 began to gather its dead. Of the thirty-nine fatalities reported on the previous day, nine were interred in the 1st Marine Division Cemetery. Some of these died of wounds on their way to the hospital. The remainder – thirty enlisted men – were all buried in the field. The same location was recorded for each man: “About 400 yards west of Point Cruz, about 600 yards inland from the sea, on the island of Guadalcanal.” Thirty markers in a small area must have been an arresting sight – and, one would presume, a highly visible one. Yet to this day, only seven of these Marines have ever been located, and the exact location of the rest is still a mystery.
Next Of Kin Address
Home address of father, Mr. Carl Corriggio.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the burial site near Point Cruz.
Joseph Corriggio was my great uncle. His brother Anthony J. Corriggio was my grandfather. I have a picture of Joseph in his USMC uniform I would like to post here. How would I go about submitting it to you? I also have a letter written to his family by Anthony Casamento – mentioned above – would post that as well. Thanks.
– Anthony M. Corriggio