Private, Company L (Love Company), 3rd Raider Battalion, 2nd Marine Raider Regiment, 1st Marine Amphibious Corps. World War II.
Don Gurney, U.S. Marine Raider, was killed in action the morning of November 9, 1943, by elements of the 23rd Japanese Infantry Regiment in the Battle for Piva Trail on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Having already served at Guadalcanal, Don disembarked the troop carrier USS FULLER (APA-7) and took part in the November 1st D-Day assault on Bougainville's Green Beach #2 at Cape Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay.
This is a short VIDEO on Bougainville D-Day 11/01/1943.
Just before 8:00 A.M. on the 9th, the Japanese opened up with a heavy volume of fire on the Raiders' right flank and made several moves as if to attack. Company L and the two interior platoons of Company F led a counter-attack, and immediately came under heavy, short-range rifle and machine-gun fire from concealed Japanese positions. It was in the midst of this action that Don probably died. Shortly after noon, the enemy abandoned their positions and retreated from the scene.
This is a TRANSCRIPT of Jim Wood's first-hand account of the battle. Jim was with Company M which held the trail block, while Don's Company L led the counter-attack. When Don's company required support, Jim's company moved up the trail to assist.
This is a complete list of Don's comrades who were killed in the same brutal firefight. We owe these men a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. These brave soldiers deserve to be remembered for their ultimate sacrifice (burial site in parentheses).
Henry Gurke (North Dakota *Medal of Honor)
Hugh Kellerman (Manila)
Homer Goehri (Manila)
Robert Marko (Illinois *died 3 days later)
Benjamin Ferguson (Michigan)
James Coupe (Nebraska)
Thomas Matthews (Texas)
Willie Bibaeff (Manila)
John Larson (Manila)
Forest Swank (Indiana)
Stanley Dierker (Manila)
Eugene Pace (Illinois)
Harold Reynolds (Iowa)
William Rice (Manila)
Semper Fi, brave men, and rest in peace!
Don's family:
JOHN L. GURNEY was born March 11, 1894. NEVA L. DOUGLASS MACMICHAEL was born December 12, 1897. Married: January 22, 1920. Children: i. MURLIN ARNOLD GURNEY, b. November 11, 1920. ii. DONALD JUDSON GURNEY, b. December 26, 1923. iii. WALTER B. GURNEY, b. February 23, 1927.
Further information on Bougainville.
Tags: Don Gurney, Gurney Don, Donald Gurney, Gurney Donald, Donald J. Gurney, Third Raider Battalion, Second Raider Regiment, Marine Raiders, American War Hero, USMC, World War II
Don Gurney, U.S. Marine Raider, was killed in action the morning of November 9, 1943, by elements of the 23rd Japanese Infantry Regiment in the Battle for Piva Trail on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Having already served at Guadalcanal, Don disembarked the troop carrier USS FULLER (APA-7) and took part in the November 1st D-Day assault on Bougainville's Green Beach #2 at Cape Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay.
This is a short VIDEO on Bougainville D-Day 11/01/1943.
Just before 8:00 A.M. on the 9th, the Japanese opened up with a heavy volume of fire on the Raiders' right flank and made several moves as if to attack. Company L and the two interior platoons of Company F led a counter-attack, and immediately came under heavy, short-range rifle and machine-gun fire from concealed Japanese positions. It was in the midst of this action that Don probably died. Shortly after noon, the enemy abandoned their positions and retreated from the scene.
This is a TRANSCRIPT of Jim Wood's first-hand account of the battle. Jim was with Company M which held the trail block, while Don's Company L led the counter-attack. When Don's company required support, Jim's company moved up the trail to assist.
This is a complete list of Don's comrades who were killed in the same brutal firefight. We owe these men a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. These brave soldiers deserve to be remembered for their ultimate sacrifice (burial site in parentheses).
Henry Gurke (North Dakota *Medal of Honor)
Hugh Kellerman (Manila)
Homer Goehri (Manila)
Robert Marko (Illinois *died 3 days later)
Benjamin Ferguson (Michigan)
James Coupe (Nebraska)
Thomas Matthews (Texas)
Willie Bibaeff (Manila)
John Larson (Manila)
Forest Swank (Indiana)
Stanley Dierker (Manila)
Eugene Pace (Illinois)
Harold Reynolds (Iowa)
William Rice (Manila)
Semper Fi, brave men, and rest in peace!
Don's family:
JOHN L. GURNEY was born March 11, 1894. NEVA L. DOUGLASS MACMICHAEL was born December 12, 1897. Married: January 22, 1920. Children: i. MURLIN ARNOLD GURNEY, b. November 11, 1920. ii. DONALD JUDSON GURNEY, b. December 26, 1923. iii. WALTER B. GURNEY, b. February 23, 1927.
Further information on Bougainville.
Tags: Don Gurney, Gurney Don, Donald Gurney, Gurney Donald, Donald J. Gurney, Third Raider Battalion, Second Raider Regiment, Marine Raiders, American War Hero, USMC, World War II
Private, Company L (Love Company), 3rd Raider Battalion, 2nd Marine Raider Regiment, 1st Marine Amphibious Corps. World War II.
Don Gurney, U.S. Marine Raider, was killed in action the morning of November 9, 1943, by elements of the 23rd Japanese Infantry Regiment in the Battle for Piva Trail on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Having already served at Guadalcanal, Don disembarked the troop carrier USS FULLER (APA-7) and took part in the November 1st D-Day assault on Bougainville's Green Beach #2 at Cape Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay.
This is a short VIDEO on Bougainville D-Day 11/01/1943.
Just before 8:00 A.M. on the 9th, the Japanese opened up with a heavy volume of fire on the Raiders' right flank and made several moves as if to attack. Company L and the two interior platoons of Company F led a counter-attack, and immediately came under heavy, short-range rifle and machine-gun fire from concealed Japanese positions. It was in the midst of this action that Don probably died. Shortly after noon, the enemy abandoned their positions and retreated from the scene.
This is a TRANSCRIPT of Jim Wood's first-hand account of the battle. Jim was with Company M which held the trail block, while Don's Company L led the counter-attack. When Don's company required support, Jim's company moved up the trail to assist.
This is a complete list of Don's comrades who were killed in the same brutal firefight. We owe these men a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. These brave soldiers deserve to be remembered for their ultimate sacrifice (burial site in parentheses).
Henry Gurke (North Dakota *Medal of Honor)
Hugh Kellerman (Manila)
Homer Goehri (Manila)
Robert Marko (Illinois *died 3 days later)
Benjamin Ferguson (Michigan)
James Coupe (Nebraska)
Thomas Matthews (Texas)
Willie Bibaeff (Manila)
John Larson (Manila)
Forest Swank (Indiana)
Stanley Dierker (Manila)
Eugene Pace (Illinois)
Harold Reynolds (Iowa)
William Rice (Manila)
Semper Fi, brave men, and rest in peace!
Don's family:
JOHN L. GURNEY was born March 11, 1894. NEVA L. DOUGLASS MACMICHAEL was born December 12, 1897. Married: January 22, 1920. Children: i. MURLIN ARNOLD GURNEY, b. November 11, 1920. ii. DONALD JUDSON GURNEY, b. December 26, 1923. iii. WALTER B. GURNEY, b. February 23, 1927.
Further information on Bougainville.
Tags: Don Gurney, Gurney Don, Donald Gurney, Gurney Donald, Donald J. Gurney, Third Raider Battalion, Second Raider Regiment, Marine Raiders, American War Hero, USMC, World War II
Don Gurney, U.S. Marine Raider, was killed in action the morning of November 9, 1943, by elements of the 23rd Japanese Infantry Regiment in the Battle for Piva Trail on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
Having already served at Guadalcanal, Don disembarked the troop carrier USS FULLER (APA-7) and took part in the November 1st D-Day assault on Bougainville's Green Beach #2 at Cape Torokina in Empress Augusta Bay.
This is a short VIDEO on Bougainville D-Day 11/01/1943.
Just before 8:00 A.M. on the 9th, the Japanese opened up with a heavy volume of fire on the Raiders' right flank and made several moves as if to attack. Company L and the two interior platoons of Company F led a counter-attack, and immediately came under heavy, short-range rifle and machine-gun fire from concealed Japanese positions. It was in the midst of this action that Don probably died. Shortly after noon, the enemy abandoned their positions and retreated from the scene.
This is a TRANSCRIPT of Jim Wood's first-hand account of the battle. Jim was with Company M which held the trail block, while Don's Company L led the counter-attack. When Don's company required support, Jim's company moved up the trail to assist.
This is a complete list of Don's comrades who were killed in the same brutal firefight. We owe these men a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. These brave soldiers deserve to be remembered for their ultimate sacrifice (burial site in parentheses).
Henry Gurke (North Dakota *Medal of Honor)
Hugh Kellerman (Manila)
Homer Goehri (Manila)
Robert Marko (Illinois *died 3 days later)
Benjamin Ferguson (Michigan)
James Coupe (Nebraska)
Thomas Matthews (Texas)
Willie Bibaeff (Manila)
John Larson (Manila)
Forest Swank (Indiana)
Stanley Dierker (Manila)
Eugene Pace (Illinois)
Harold Reynolds (Iowa)
William Rice (Manila)
Semper Fi, brave men, and rest in peace!
Don's family:
JOHN L. GURNEY was born March 11, 1894. NEVA L. DOUGLASS MACMICHAEL was born December 12, 1897. Married: January 22, 1920. Children: i. MURLIN ARNOLD GURNEY, b. November 11, 1920. ii. DONALD JUDSON GURNEY, b. December 26, 1923. iii. WALTER B. GURNEY, b. February 23, 1927.
Further information on Bougainville.
Tags: Don Gurney, Gurney Don, Donald Gurney, Gurney Donald, Donald J. Gurney, Third Raider Battalion, Second Raider Regiment, Marine Raiders, American War Hero, USMC, World War II
