Gung Ho! Evan Carlson, Marine Raider by Duane Schultz
Gung Ho! (work together) was used by Lt. Col. Evans Carlson as a rally cry to spark his troops comprised of the United States Marine Raiders, the first special operations unit created by the United States during WWII. Carlson was revered by the men who served under him and mostly hated by top military leaders for his unorthodox leadership style.
Evans Carlson, Marine Raider: The Man Who Commanded America's First Special Forces by Duane Schultz tells how Carlson’s Raiders famously landed on Makin Island in August of 1942 from rubber rafts dispatched from two submarines. The Raiders destroyed all major Japanese installations on the island while eradicating the Japanese occupying force. The Marines lost 19 killed and had mistakenly left nine men behind who were later beheaded by the Japanese on Kwajalein. The raid was considered a great success and the Raiders were heroes back in the states, where the public was hearing about great losses at Guadalcanal.
After a brief rest, Carlson’s Raiders were sent to Guadalcanal and went on a 29 day patrol behind Japanese lines through dense jungle to reap havoc amongst the attacking Japanese. The Raiders killed an estimated 500 Japanese soldiers while losing only 16 of their own men, though many were overcome with jungle rot and other diseases.
Carlson participated in the Marine landings at Tarawa, Kwajalein and was wounded on Saipan. It’s a shame that such an experienced Marine officer became chastised by the top brass because of rumors that Carlson was a communist.
Carlson spent time before WWII with Communist Chinese forces that were already fighting the Japanese and his association with communism haunted him throughout the rest of his career. After being a consultant on the film Gung Ho! (1943) which starred Randolph Scott, Carlson went on a successful speaking tour but was hindered by the wound he sustained on Saipan and basically lived a sad life. The final indignity was the refusal to bury his body in Arlington Cemetery. He was eventually buried there, but it was rumored that Marine Corps General Vandegrift remarked “Thank God, he’s gone,” at Carlson’s funeral.
Like Chesty Puller, Evans Carlson is little remembered for his exploits outside of Marine Corps circles, but he deserved better. For more information on the Makin Island raid, I also recommend Carlson’s Raid: The Daring Marine Assault on Makin by George W. Smith and American Commando: Evans Carlson, his WWII Marine Raiders, and America's first Special Forces Mission by John Wukovits.
Dan @ Central