Edward H. Ahrens
| Edward Henry Ahrens | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 4, 1919 Dayton, Kentucky |
| Died |
August 8, 1942 (aged 22) DOW at Guadalcanal |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | 1st RaiderBn |
| Battles/wars |
World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
Private First Class Edward Henry Ahrens (November 4, 1919 – August 8, 1942) served in the Marine Raiders in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Biography
Ahrens — born on November 4, 1919 in Dayton, Kentucky — enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on February 3, 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and underwent boot camp training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina. He transferred to the Marine Barracks Quantico, Virginia on March 16, 1942.
Assigned to Company "A", 1st Raider Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, soon thereafter, Ahrens landed with that unit from USS Little (APD-4) at Tulagi, Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands, in the second assault wave on August 7, 1942. With Company "C", 1st Raider Battalion, securing the right flank on the beachhead, Company "A" moved inland and down the right slope of Tulagi's central ridge. Initially, the Marines were not opposed.
That evening, Company "A" took positions for the night west of a cricket ground on the island, as part of the defensive line extending along the ridge. The Japanese later launched a fierce nocturnal counterattack which drove a wedge between the two Raider companies. Isolating the latter near the beachhead, the enemy concentrated their efforts on Company "A" in an attempt to sweep up the ridge toward the residency, a former British government building serving as a Raider battalion command post. The Raiders, however, stood firm.
During the savage battle that ensued, Ahrens, in a security detachment assigned the task of protecting the Raiders' right flank, singlehandedly engaged a group of Japanese in hand-to-hand combat as they attempted to infiltrate the Raiders' rear. He killed at least two Japanese (including the attacking unit's senior officer) and aided materially in stopping their infiltration.[1]
Awards and decorations
For his part in stopping the enemy, Ahrens—who died of his wounds on August 8,—was posthumously awarded a Navy Cross, as well as the Presidential Unit Citation earned by the 1st Marine Division.
Namesake
In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Ahrens (DE-575) was named in his honor.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- Alexander JH. Edson's Raiders. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2001. Pg 99.