US Marine Corps Base - Yearbook (Quantico, VA)

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- I Crossing fhe Meuse on fhe nighf of November I0, I9I8. James P. S. Devereux, U. S. M. C., and Marine Fighfing Squadron 2 I I, of Marine Aircraff Group 2I, under Command of Major Paul A. Pufnam, U. S. M. C. The courageous conducf of fhe officers and men of fhese unifs, who defended Wake Island againsf an overwhelming superiorify of enemy air, sea and land affacks, from December 8 fo 22, l94I, has been nofed wifh admirafion by fheir fellow-counfrymen and fhe civilized world, and will nof be forgoffen so long as gallanfry and heroism are respecfed and honored. These unifs are commended for fheir devo- fion fo dufy and splendid conducf af fheir baffle sfafions under fhe mosf adverse condifions. Wifh limifed defensive means againsf affaclqs in greaf force, fhey manned fheir shore insfallafions and flew fheir aircraff so well fhaf five enemy war- ships were eifher sunk or severely damaged, many hosfile planes shof down and an unlcnown number of land froops desfroyed. lf was nof unfil affer fhe Presidenf's commen- dafion was issued fhaf if was learned fhaf fhe official foll of Japanese ships was fwo more fhan fhe Chief Execufive had menfioned. Meanwhile, Marines were manning fheir baffle sfafions in ofher engagemenfs. They were wifh MacArfhur in fhe Philippines: fhey blasfed fhe Japs af Midway and in fhe Coral Sea. According fo currenf reporfs sfrong Marine confingenfs have already arrived af unidenfified overseas depofs, and sfand alerf and poised fo falce fhe offensive in fhe Easf. Wherever fhey are, and whenever fhey meef fhe enemy, fhey are fashioning new fradifions on fhe land, fhe sea and in fhe air, keeping unfar- nished fheir famed moffo: Sprowle, David Evans, Franlc Mackie, John Pufnam, Paul A. Eddy, William A. Robinson, Roberf G. Fifzgerald, John lams, Ross L. Devereux, James P. S. Elrod, l-lenry T. Lee, William Ingalls, John J. Shivers, John SEMPER FIDELlS

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The old CenTer House, Marine Barracks, FlrsT ConTlnenTal Marines. Washingfon, D. C. The airways on December 7, I94l, liTTle menTion was made oT The Tiny island in The PaciTic. NoTh- ing was heard oT Guam, Midway or Wake ls- land was The reporT, IT musT be assumed ThaT They are in The hands oT The enemy. Then, suddenly, came The news ThaT elecTriTied The naTion! Wake Island sTill held! A handTul oT grimly deTermined Marines had been assaulTed, buT noT surprised, aT noon oT December 8, by a TlighT oT Two dozen Japanese planes. When The raiders were beaTen oTT There were 25 dead Marines and seven wounded, and seven oT The Twelve American planes were demolished. The raiders sTruck again The Tollowing day, 27 oT Them This Time. They were obviously Trying To soTTen up The deTenses prior To an invasion aTTempT. When conTacT was esTablished wiTh Maior Devereux and his Marine deTenders someone soliciTously asked, ls There anyThing you wanT? Back came The answer, Yes, send us some more Japsl There were more aTTacks Trom The clouds, buT The Tlying Marines had rebuilT planes Trom The wreckage oT The TirsT aTTack and Took To The sky, carrying The TighT To The Japs. On The aTTernoon oT The IITh a landing was aTTempTed by Twelve enemy ships. The Marines manning The beach deTenses leT The hosTile craTT approach The shore. AT 4,700 yards They opened Tire. WiTh Their Three-inch and Tive-inch weapons They blasTed a lighT cruiser ouT oT The waTer. sl They smashed Two desTroyers and a gunboaT. Day aTTer day The aTTacks conTinued, each Time They were Turned back wiTh an epic oT heroic deTense. The Marines' planes were smashed one aTTer anoTher, OT The air uniT's personnel 27 ouT oT 5I were dead. CasualTies in Major Dever- eaux's command were mounTing rapidly. Man by man The original 400 l.eaThernecks were dying under The repeaTed hail oT lead. BuT The Japs were paying a price, Too, seven warships were senT To The boTTom, and no one will ever know how many men wenT wiTh Them. A dozen Jap planes were shoT Trom The skies. On The 22nd, Two Tull weeks aTTer The TirsT assaulT, Maior Devereux goT anoTher message Through. The Japs had Tinally eTTecTed a land- ing, he reporTed and were sweeping up The beaches. The issue, The Maior repeaTed, ls in doubT. ATTer ThaT . . . silence. ThroughouT The souThwesT PaciTic, wherever The Japanese hurled Their planes and ships, The answer was The same. The Marines slashed back wiTh whaTever weapons They had. The l.eaTher- necks were ouTgunned everywhere, buT ouTToughT . . . never. The gallanT deTense oT Wake broughT TorTh a commendaTion Trom PresidenT Roosevelt issued aT The WhiTe l-louse on January 5, l942: CiTa- Tion by The PresidenT oT The UniTed STaTes oT The Wake lsland DeTachmenT oT The l:irsT BaTTalion, U. S. Marine Corps, under command oT Maior

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