Above: Marines Leaving Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “A COUPLE LEAPERS -- ‘Leaping Lena’, a Higgins boat takes aboard a load of Marines to take them to a waiting transport for transfer to another South Pacific base from Guadalcanal. The Leathernecks leaped at the chance to leave the island after their long fight with the Japs. There's another group going out. Oh boy, that was a big day." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. Official USMC Photograph. Click to enlarge.

Above: Lt. Colonel Carlson (of Carlson's Raiders fame) and Son, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “Lt. Colonel Evans Carlson and his son, Lt. Evans C. Carlson both together after series of raids in the Guadalcanal jungle. Here's Carlson again." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division, Official USMC Photograph. Click to enlarge.

Above: Source and text: "Marines and Tank, Guadalcanal, circa 1942. 'MOP UP UNIT: Two alert U.S. Marines stand beside their small tank which helped blast the Japanese in the battle of the Tenaru River during the early stages of fighting on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Those well-manned, sturdy machines readily mopped up strong points of enemy resistance.' From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH."

The ground battle of Guadalcanal (7 August 1942 – 9 February 1943) in the Solomon Islands has long been considered the turning point for the War in the Pacific. Some historians have made a case that the turning point was the sea Battle of Midway (4-7 June 1942), where the U.S. Navy greatly weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy, destroying many of Japan's capital ships. Marines like John Basilone (winner of the Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal), Lewis "Chesty" Puller(leadership), Merritt A. Edson (Battle of Edson's Ridge), and Evans Carlson (Carlson's Raiders) became heroes, forever etched in Marine Corps history and lore. The Guadalcanal campaign included key ground victories including defense of Lunga Point, battles of the Matanikau (River); Battle of the Tenaru (River); Battle of Edson's Ridge; and Battle for Henderson Field.

Above: Hospital on Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “SICK BAY ON GUADALCANAL.This Japanese building on Guadalcanal was seized by U.S. Marines and converted to a regimental sick bay. Note the cases of supplies in the background. The hospital. We had a lot of dysentery, dengue fever, and malaria in addition to everything else." From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division. OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH."Click to expand.

Further Reading
Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle by Richard Frank. First published in 1990, Guadalcanal remains one of the most popular works on this battle. Buy on Amazon

Victory Fever on Guadalcanal: Japan's First Land Defeat of WWII by William H. Bartsch is a more recent contribution published in 2014 by Texas A&M University Press College Station. Buy on Amazon

Once a Legend: "Red Mike" Edson of the Marine Raiders by Jon T. Hoffman is an excellent work on marine legend Major General Merritt "Mike" Edson. Buy on Amazon

Lastly, and perhaps one of the most valuable books (if you can find a copy) is Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal: History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II by Lieutenant Colonel Frank O. Hough, USMCR, Major Verle E. Ludwig, USMC, and Henry Shaw, Jr., Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

Multimedia: Video, Web, and Photo
Photo album: U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal; Courtesy United States Marine Corps History Division, Archives Branch. |  Photo Album: Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-124 on Guadalcanal

Video: Historian Richard Frank "Guadalcanal: The First Offensive"

Notable websites: National WWII Museum: Battle of Guadalcanal  |  Imbiblio.org: First Offensive: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal