A Story of Commitment, Service, Survival, and Inspiration
Above: The battle for Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, was the first American offensive action in World War II.
We have many traditions in the Marine Corps, as do the other units of the armed services. One that has appealed to me most is recognizing individuals by the name of the battle or battles they have fought.
This recognition comes when a Marine who has distinguished himself in an engagement enters a room where his fellow Marines are waiting for him. A senior non-com shouts out, for example, “Attention on deck, we have a Guadalcanal marine in our presence.”
One such Marine was Al Schmid who fought in the battle for Guadalcanal on August 7,1942, the first American offensive action in World War II.
Schmid was one of three Marines from the 11th Machine Gun Squad, H Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (1st Marine Division) crouched in a hole awaiting the Japanese onslaught on Guadalcanal. The other two were Corporal Leroy Diamond and Pfc. John Rivers. They were manning a .30-caliber machine gun on the west bank of the Tenaru (Ilu) River. Sandbags and coconut logs were placed around the hole for protection, and palm leaves and jungle growth further concealed them from the enemy.
About 3 a.m. on that 21st day of August, as a flare lit up the night sky, the Japanese stormed across the sandbar screaming and taunting the Leathernecks to open fire to reveal their positions. Marine gunners are given fields of fire, a killing zone, and only open fire when the enemy penetrates that zone.
As the enemy neared their hole, Rivers squeezed the trigger of his Browning weapon, raking the columns of Japanese. His gun spit hundreds of bullets, temporarily stopping the assault amid the screams of the wounded and dying. The enemy soon focused on the Marine machine gun, and the sharp crack of Arisaka rounds (Japanese rifles) filled the air.
Rivers was struck numerous times in the face and killed instantly. Overcome with rage at his friend’s death, Schmid leaped on the weapon and took his place. Diamond reloaded the machine gun as Schmid maintained a constant barrage of .30-caliber bullets tearing into the Japanese. When a bullet smashed into Diamond’s arm, rendering it useless, Schmid had to take on both jobs of firing and reloading. Bullets whizzed around the two Marines as Schmid kept the pressure on the Japanese for four hours.
Even after an exploding grenade sent shrapnel into Schmid’s face, tearing into his eyes and partially blinding him, he remained behind the machine gun in intense pain, and with Diamond’s direction, continued to let loose a broadside at the attackers.
When he was finally relieved, Schmid passed out from exhaustion. The wounded warrior returned to the United States in the fall of 1942 where he was treated at the naval hospital in San Diego, California. The Pennsylvania native underwent scores of operations on his eyes and face. Through the determined efforts of Virginia Pfeiffer, a Red Cross worker, Schmid began the long road back to recovery. He would lose his sight in one eye completely while the other was severely damaged. Pfeiffer wrote Ruth “Babs” Hartley, Schmid’s fiancée, keeping her updated on his recovery.
In recognition of their extraordinary bravery, Schmid and Diamond were awarded the Navy Cross on February 18, 1943. Schmid traveled to Washington, D.C., and met President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Over the next few years, Schmid was inundated with accolades. In Philadelphia, his hometown, a parade was held to honor him. The Philadelphia Inquirer presented him with its Hero Award and a check for $1,000. Author Roger Butterfield wrote a best-selling book, Al Schmid””Marine. A movie, Pride of the Marines, starring Hollywood legend John Garfield, was released in 1945.
But Schmid’s biggest battle was with his blindness. He struggled to be treated like any other person. He later recalled, “When I came back, I was the most disgusting man you ever saw. I didn’t want to bother to do anything. I could see people looking away from my ugly scars. They didn’t want to associate with me.”
In April 1943, Schmid and Babs were married. With the assistance and love from his wife, Schmid slowly regained his confidence and eventually regained partial sight in one eye. Relocating to St. Petersburg, Florida, the former Marine became an accomplished fisherman and played the organ. Another pastime he ardently pursued was that of a ham (amateur) radio operator. Sadly, he passed away from bone cancer on December 12, 1982, and was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Throughout his life, Al Schmid exemplified the word “hero.” Although he would be the last to think of himself as such, Schmid was a role model to all who knew him. The title of the movie, Pride of the Marines, is most appropriate when describing him. Al Schmid was the pride of the Marines.
Many people know the first verse of the Marine Corps Hymn, but very few know the second. One stanza includes: “If you ever gaze on heaven’s scene, you will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.”
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