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Forgotten Raiders of '42: The Fate of the Marines Left Behind on Makin
On October 16 1942, on Kwajalein Atoll, at the fringe of the Japanese Empire, members of the Imperial Japanese Navy's 6th Base Unit ceremonially beheaded nine Marines from the U.S. 2nd Raider Battalion. This work offers an account of how these volunteers were inadvertently left behind after the Marines' raid on Makin Island.
169 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
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March 2, 2026
Good solid, and short, history of the Makin Raid and the story of the 9 marines left behind. Wiles quotes from the after-action report. These show that while the Navy mission Commander and Nimitz publically praised Carlson and the Makin raid, internally they extremely critical of Carlson and his actions.
As Wiles notes, many of the comments by Nimitz and others on Carlson's after-action report seem more appropriate for a reprimand and demotion, than public praise and a medal. Had Carlson used the Marine Raiders as intended, and been bold and aggressive, he would've found out on the 1st day that he had won the battle and few Japanese remained to fight him. And all the chaos and disorganization of the first night would've been avoided. Not to mention the loss of 5 marines on 2nd day or leaving 4 other Marines on the Island.
As Wiles notes, many of the comments by Nimitz and others on Carlson's after-action report seem more appropriate for a reprimand and demotion, than public praise and a medal. Had Carlson used the Marine Raiders as intended, and been bold and aggressive, he would've found out on the 1st day that he had won the battle and few Japanese remained to fight him. And all the chaos and disorganization of the first night would've been avoided. Not to mention the loss of 5 marines on 2nd day or leaving 4 other Marines on the Island.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review