Morris Everett Canady
PFC Morris E. Canady served with Charlie Company, First Battalion, 7th Marines.
He was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 24 September 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 367000
Current Status
ACCOUNTED FOR
as of 16 May 2024
Recovery Organization
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
March 7, 1921
at Goode, VA
Parents
Roy Miller Canady
Nancy (Padgett) Canady
Education
Details unknown
Occupation & Employer
Family farm
Service Life
Entered Service
January 20, 1942
at Washington, DC
Home Of Record
Goode, VA
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Roy M. Canady
Military Specialty
—
Primary Unit
C/1/7th Marines
Campaigns Served
Guadalcanal
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 24 September 1942 – six days after arriving on Guadalcanal – the First Battalion, 7th Marines departed from the Lunga Perimeter and headed out into Guadalcanal’s backcountry. They followed a trail known as the “Maizuru Road” which had served as a Japanese advance and retreat route during the battle for Edson’s Ridge. The battalion commander, Lt. Col. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, hoped to cross the Matanikau River at an undefended point, then advance along the Japanese-held bank to outflank enemy fortifications. This maneuver was a crucial part of a planned offensive scheduled to begin on 26 September.
After an exhausting day-long hike, the battalion reached a stream bed and began searching for a suitable bivouac. While the rearguard (Company C and Company D) occupied a defendable hill, Companies A and B advanced to the riverbank and sent scouts into the woods beyond. They ran into a Japanese detachment and were caught in a murderous crossfire from multiple machine gun positions.
In spite of the chaos described by Corporal Bodt, Charlie Company was comparatively safe – they were bringing up the rear of the column, and were not directly engaged in the firefight. They suffered only one casualty in the attack: PFC Morris E. Canady, a 21-year-old farm boy from Virginia. His death was attributed to “enemy fire,” and no further details are known.
Burial Information or Disposition
Early on 25 September, Puller’s men set out to locate and bury their friends. The ten fatal casualties were buried in two groups of five – one on “Hill Y,” the other on “Hill X.” PFC Canady was the second man buried in the “Hill X” location.
The battalion departed soon after the final grave was dug: two companies returned to the perimeter with the wounded, while Puller pressed on with Company C and reinforcements from 2/5th Marines. The remote location was rarely, if ever, seen by American troops for the rest of the battle.
Two post-war expeditions (1947 and 1949) failed to locate the graves of Puller’s men, and all were declared non-recoverable.
The Hill X and Hill Y sites were prioritized by the DPAA starting in 2012. Subsequent archaeological digs have returned possible remains, identification tags, and additional material evidence from the area.
PFC Canady was accounted for on 16 May 2024.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. Roy Canady.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of Hill X – now the outskirts of Honiara, Guadalcanal.
Gallery
Related Profiles
Buried in the field, Hills X and Y, as result of Maizuru Ambush.
Leaving Mac Behind: The Lost Marines of Guadalcanal
Willie Rowe, or someone who sounded a lot like Willie, was crying in the darkness.
PFC Gerald White could not blame Willie. He felt a bit like crying himself. His battalion of the 7t Marines left the Lunga perimeter full of fight, ready to prove they were no Johnny-come-lately laggards but the warriors who would turn the tide on Guadalcanal. Now they were a “weary and dejected band” dug in on a nameless hill overlooking an unfamiliar stream, an anonymous location with no known landmarks save those they named themselves. The field where Fuller found the cooking fire; the ridge their guns were on; the tree where Goble hid; the trail where Randolph died.
Unremarkable places, except that men bled for them.
Read more about the Maizuru Ambush in "Leaving Mac Behind."
Click the cover for details.
Was wondering if you have any other information on Morris E Canady he was my great uncle, found this info by chance found it very interesting.
Hi Mattie,
Great to hear from you. Would be very interested to discuss your great uncle – I’ll send you an email.
Geoffrey
Would like to know if they are still searching for Morris E Canady my uncle it would be nice to bring him home.
Morris Everett Canady is my great uncle as well. I see there is no picture of him. I have several I would like to see up. My Granny and Uncle Morris were brother and sister. My email is jamstinnett@comcast.net I would be interested in discussing my Uncle with anyone who wishes too.
RE: Morris Everett Canady would be my great uncle Jimmy Canady Jr. said he was contacted yesterday 6/4/2024 that Morris’s remains were found just wanted to know if I get more info as well he didn’t have much.
Hi Mattie! Checking to see if you received my email from June 7; if not, please let me know and I’ll re-send.
Geoffrey