D + 6

February 25, 1945

First Battalion, 24th, now augmented by a pitiful few reinforcements, jumped out of their foxholes at 0930, bent on trying to reach the O-2 line - an impossible 1,600 yards away. Instead, they found themselves brought up short by "all types of enemy fire." Major William Stewart, Able Company's commanding officer, was stricken by a rifle bullet shortly after the advance began, and command passed to the senior officer - First Lieutenant Roy Wood, the last survivor of the original officer cadre that had left Camp Pendleton just over a year before.

Able, Baker, and Charlie companies were stopped cold in their tracks every time they tried to advance. Intense rifle, machine gun, and mortar fire, augmented by artillery, caused catastrophic casualties. The situation was made all the more maddening by the fact that noone could see the Japanese. "The fire appeared to be coming from high ground about 100 yards to our front. However, some Japs were close enough to throw volleys of hand grenades," said the official report.

The three companies were withdrawn at 1800, and replaced by Second Battalion. The shattered First Battalion spent a welcome night in reserve.

Able Company Casualties, February 25, 1945

Killed
Major William K. Stewart. South Carolina. Company CO. Bullet wounds.
Corporal Leon J. Abrams. Rifle Squad Leader
Corporal James Walter Freeman. Age 20. Fairview, NC. Rifle Squad Leader. Shell fragment, chest.
Corporal Eugene L. Morris. Age 23. New Orleans, LA. Rifle Squad Leader.
Private Matthew Garner. Cordele, GA. Machine gunner.

Wounded
Sergeant John W. Donahue, Jr.
Sergeant Lewis E. Gregory. Rifle Squad Leader.
Sergeant Maynard S. Worthington. Rifle Squad Leader.
Corporal Glenn Edgar Doster. Machine gun squad leader.
Corporal Douglas B. Footit. Rifle Squad Leader
Corporal James A. Lemma. Machine gunner.
Corporal Roger W. Trimble. Automatic rifleman.
PFC William Becker. Automatic rifleman.
PFC Earl R. Crom. Machine gunner.
PFC William J. Fox. Automatic rifleman.
PFC Henry Clayton "HC" Kelley. Rifleman.
PFC John W. Mahaffey, Jr. Rifleman
PFC Floyd E. North, Jr. Rifleman.
PFC Odis Taylor. Automatic Rifleman
PFC John A. Trotte. Automatic rifleman.
Assistant Cook William P. Greco
Private Roy J. Taylor. Rifleman

Total: 22

Returned From Hospital
Sergeant Fred Eugene Thomas