Service # 37157442
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
532nd Engineer Shore Regiment
Entered the Service from: Kansas
Died: 01-Jul-43
Manila American Cemetery
Taguig City, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
NARA records list this soldiers Home of Record as Nemaha County, Kansas...Killed In Action.
Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm
Entered Service From: KansasService #: 37157442Unit: Company A, 592nd Engineer Shore Regiment, U.S. ArmyDate of Death: July 1, 1943 Nassau Bay, New Guinea, now part of Morobe Province, Papua New GuineaStatus: Missing In ActionMemorialized: Manila American Cemetery – Walls of the MissingAwards: Bronze Star"Before dawn a group of Japs suddenly made a Banzai charge. Although many were killed by our men, some managed to reach our foxholes. Hand to hand fighting ensued. Here our training at Ord on knives and judo paid dividends. At least a dozen Japs were disemboweled in these scraps and others failed to attack after hearing the screams of those gutted by American knives. It is no wonder that the Amphibs breathed a huge sigh of relief as the first streak of dawn broke over the eastern horizon. It was a costly night for the Japs, for their corpses were strewn in large numbers over the terrain, but the engineers did not escape unscathed. 2d Lieutenant Arthur C. Ely, Co A, 532d ESBR, of Scarsdale, New York, had led his men courageously during the first part of the fighting, but a chance sniper's bullet killed him instantly while he was crawling to the aid of one of his wounded men. Throughout the remainder of the night six other men were killed and eight wounded. Caring for the dead and wounded the next morning was a grim aftermath to a fight for which every Amphibian can be proud. The brigade's baptism of battle was over and victory had been achieved against overwhelming odds. The infantry commander later congratulated them on their splendid performance and disclosed to them that all would have been lost had not the boatmen made such a courageous stand and successfully held the south flank. He stated that all his reserves had been committed to repel a Jap attack from the north and not a man was available to help the hard-pressed engineers on the southern flank.Source: History of the Second Engineer Special Brigade, United States Army, World War II (1946, The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), pages 40-41.Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm was one of the men killed that night.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
532nd Engineer Shore Regiment
Entered the Service from: Kansas
Died: 01-Jul-43
Manila American Cemetery
Taguig City, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
NARA records list this soldiers Home of Record as Nemaha County, Kansas...Killed In Action.
Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm
Entered Service From: KansasService #: 37157442Unit: Company A, 592nd Engineer Shore Regiment, U.S. ArmyDate of Death: July 1, 1943 Nassau Bay, New Guinea, now part of Morobe Province, Papua New GuineaStatus: Missing In ActionMemorialized: Manila American Cemetery – Walls of the MissingAwards: Bronze Star"Before dawn a group of Japs suddenly made a Banzai charge. Although many were killed by our men, some managed to reach our foxholes. Hand to hand fighting ensued. Here our training at Ord on knives and judo paid dividends. At least a dozen Japs were disemboweled in these scraps and others failed to attack after hearing the screams of those gutted by American knives. It is no wonder that the Amphibs breathed a huge sigh of relief as the first streak of dawn broke over the eastern horizon. It was a costly night for the Japs, for their corpses were strewn in large numbers over the terrain, but the engineers did not escape unscathed. 2d Lieutenant Arthur C. Ely, Co A, 532d ESBR, of Scarsdale, New York, had led his men courageously during the first part of the fighting, but a chance sniper's bullet killed him instantly while he was crawling to the aid of one of his wounded men. Throughout the remainder of the night six other men were killed and eight wounded. Caring for the dead and wounded the next morning was a grim aftermath to a fight for which every Amphibian can be proud. The brigade's baptism of battle was over and victory had been achieved against overwhelming odds. The infantry commander later congratulated them on their splendid performance and disclosed to them that all would have been lost had not the boatmen made such a courageous stand and successfully held the south flank. He stated that all his reserves had been committed to repel a Jap attack from the north and not a man was available to help the hard-pressed engineers on the southern flank.Source: History of the Second Engineer Special Brigade, United States Army, World War II (1946, The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), pages 40-41.Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm was one of the men killed that night.
Service # 37157442
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
532nd Engineer Shore Regiment
Entered the Service from: Kansas
Died: 01-Jul-43
Manila American Cemetery
Taguig City, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
NARA records list this soldiers Home of Record as Nemaha County, Kansas...Killed In Action.
Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm
Entered Service From: KansasService #: 37157442Unit: Company A, 592nd Engineer Shore Regiment, U.S. ArmyDate of Death: July 1, 1943 Nassau Bay, New Guinea, now part of Morobe Province, Papua New GuineaStatus: Missing In ActionMemorialized: Manila American Cemetery – Walls of the MissingAwards: Bronze Star"Before dawn a group of Japs suddenly made a Banzai charge. Although many were killed by our men, some managed to reach our foxholes. Hand to hand fighting ensued. Here our training at Ord on knives and judo paid dividends. At least a dozen Japs were disemboweled in these scraps and others failed to attack after hearing the screams of those gutted by American knives. It is no wonder that the Amphibs breathed a huge sigh of relief as the first streak of dawn broke over the eastern horizon. It was a costly night for the Japs, for their corpses were strewn in large numbers over the terrain, but the engineers did not escape unscathed. 2d Lieutenant Arthur C. Ely, Co A, 532d ESBR, of Scarsdale, New York, had led his men courageously during the first part of the fighting, but a chance sniper's bullet killed him instantly while he was crawling to the aid of one of his wounded men. Throughout the remainder of the night six other men were killed and eight wounded. Caring for the dead and wounded the next morning was a grim aftermath to a fight for which every Amphibian can be proud. The brigade's baptism of battle was over and victory had been achieved against overwhelming odds. The infantry commander later congratulated them on their splendid performance and disclosed to them that all would have been lost had not the boatmen made such a courageous stand and successfully held the south flank. He stated that all his reserves had been committed to repel a Jap attack from the north and not a man was available to help the hard-pressed engineers on the southern flank.Source: History of the Second Engineer Special Brigade, United States Army, World War II (1946, The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), pages 40-41.Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm was one of the men killed that night.
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
532nd Engineer Shore Regiment
Entered the Service from: Kansas
Died: 01-Jul-43
Manila American Cemetery
Taguig City, Philippines
Awards: Purple Heart
NARA records list this soldiers Home of Record as Nemaha County, Kansas...Killed In Action.
Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm
Entered Service From: KansasService #: 37157442Unit: Company A, 592nd Engineer Shore Regiment, U.S. ArmyDate of Death: July 1, 1943 Nassau Bay, New Guinea, now part of Morobe Province, Papua New GuineaStatus: Missing In ActionMemorialized: Manila American Cemetery – Walls of the MissingAwards: Bronze Star"Before dawn a group of Japs suddenly made a Banzai charge. Although many were killed by our men, some managed to reach our foxholes. Hand to hand fighting ensued. Here our training at Ord on knives and judo paid dividends. At least a dozen Japs were disemboweled in these scraps and others failed to attack after hearing the screams of those gutted by American knives. It is no wonder that the Amphibs breathed a huge sigh of relief as the first streak of dawn broke over the eastern horizon. It was a costly night for the Japs, for their corpses were strewn in large numbers over the terrain, but the engineers did not escape unscathed. 2d Lieutenant Arthur C. Ely, Co A, 532d ESBR, of Scarsdale, New York, had led his men courageously during the first part of the fighting, but a chance sniper's bullet killed him instantly while he was crawling to the aid of one of his wounded men. Throughout the remainder of the night six other men were killed and eight wounded. Caring for the dead and wounded the next morning was a grim aftermath to a fight for which every Amphibian can be proud. The brigade's baptism of battle was over and victory had been achieved against overwhelming odds. The infantry commander later congratulated them on their splendid performance and disclosed to them that all would have been lost had not the boatmen made such a courageous stand and successfully held the south flank. He stated that all his reserves had been committed to repel a Jap attack from the north and not a man was available to help the hard-pressed engineers on the southern flank.Source: History of the Second Engineer Special Brigade, United States Army, World War II (1946, The Telegraph Press, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), pages 40-41.Staff Sergeant Elgin A. Strahm was one of the men killed that night.
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Kansas.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
