Just off the road near the top of the ridge line.

Monument
A granite inscribed monument with the symbol of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion about 6 feet high.

The monument remembers the Battle of Bloody Ridge, also know as Epsons Ridge in September 1942 during the Guadalcanal battle. The 1st Marien Raider Battalion was commanded by Colonel Merritt Austin 'Red Mike' Edson. His Raider Battalion, with two companies of the 1st Parachute Battalion attached, was sent to a ridge line a short distance south of Henderson Field. Here, they were supposed to get a short rest but Japanese forces unexpectedly attacked the position on the first evening, penetrating the left center of his line of resistance and forcing a withdrawal to a reserve position.

Approximately 800 Marines withstood the repeated assaults of more than 2,500 Japanese on the "Bloody Ridge," as it came to be called. To the men of the 1st Raider Battalion, however, who sustained 256 casualties, it became "Edson's Ridge," in high honor of the officer who "was all over the place, encouraging, cajoling, and correcting as he continually exposed himself to enemy fire." His nickname, "Red Mike," originated from his red beard worn in Nicaragua days; it was also his code name during this battle. From then on he was known by all as "Red Mike." It was for this action-the Battle of Edson's Ridge-that he received the Medal of Honor.

Source: Military Hall of Honor

Center:

THE BATTLE OF BLOODY RIDGE

12 - 14 SEPTEMBER 1942

THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE U.S. MARINE RAIDERS WHO SERVED ON GUADALCANAL AND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

LT. COL. MERRITT A. EDSON COMMANDED SOME-840 MARINES OF HIS 1ST RAIDER BATTALION AND THE 1ST PARACHUTE BATTALION WHO FOUGHT HERE, SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDING THIS RIDGE, FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS, FROM 12 SEP TO 14 SEP 1942.

EDSON'S MARINES WERE SUPPLEMENTED, ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF FIGHTING, BY UNITS OF THE 1ST MARINE PIONEER BATTALION AND THE 1ST MARINE ENGINEER BATTALION.

ON THE SECOND NIGHT AND FINAL MORNING OF FIGHTING, THE MARINES ON THE RIDGE WERE ASSISTED BY VME 224 AND THE 6TH ARMY FIGHTER SQUADRON, THE ARTILLERY OF 11TH MARINES, AND EARLY MORNING REINFORCEMENTS BY THE 2ND BATTALION, 5TH MARINES.

FURTHER, THIS MARKER IS PLACED TO REMEMBER THESE AMERICANS AND TO MEMORIALIZE

THEIR DEVOTION TO DUTY.

OUR HARD-FOUGHT, BUT NARROW VICTORY HERE WAS PIVOTAL TO THE ULTIMATE OUTCOME OF THE CAMPAIGN. IF THE RIDGE HAD FALLEN, HENDERSON FIELD AND FIGHTER ONE AIRSTRIP WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST, AND WITH THEM,

GUADALCANAL

THE 1ST RAIDER BATTALION LOST 40 DEAD AND 123 WOUNDED, THE 1ST PARACHUTE BATTALION LOST 17 DEAD AND 109 WOUNDED. TWO MEDALS OF HONOR AND NINETEEN NAVY CROSS WERE EARNED BY MARINES FOR THEIR VALOR ON THIS RIDGE, FIVE OF THESE WERE POSTHUMOUS. THE JAPANESE SUFFERED AT LEAST 1,214 CASUALTIES. THIS MEMORIAL IS ALSO DEDICATED TO ALL THE BRAVE AND RELIABLE SOLOMON SCOUTS AND COASTWATCHERS WHO ACTIVELY SERVED ALONGSIDE THE MARINES.

SEMPER FIDELIS

Left column:

EDSON'S BATTALION ON THE

RIDGE WAS FACED BY A

FORCE OF THREE JAPANESE

BATTALIONS CONSISTING

OF JUST UNDER THREE

THOUSAND MEN. JAPANESE

COMMANDER, MAJ. GEN.

KIYOTAKI KAWAGUCHI

ADVANCED TO THE

FRINGES OF THE JUNGLE

SOUTH OF HERE. INTENT ON

USING THE RIDGE AS A

PATH OF APPROACH TO

SEIZE THE ISLAND'S

TWO VITAL AIRSTRIPS,

HENDERSON FIELD, ONLY

ONE MILE AWAY AND THE

NEARBY NEWLY-OPEN

FIGHTER ONE.

KAWAGUCHI'S FORWARD

ELEMENTS ATTACKED

MARINE POSITIONS ON THE

NIGHT OF 12 SEP 1942,

MAKING SMALL GAINS.

Right column:

THE JAPANESE ATTACKED

AGAIN IN FORCE THE

FOLLOWING NIGHT,

SWARMING UP THESE

SLOPES INTO THE FACE OF

MACHINE GUN AND RIFLE

FIRE, MORTARS AND

GRENADES OF THE DUG-IN

MARINES. AIDED BY

SUPPORTING ARTILLERY

FIRE, EDSON AND HIS MEN

PREVAILED IN THE VIOLENT,

ALL-NIGHT ASSAULT,

WHICH CONTINUED INTO

THE NEXT DAY. THEY HELD

THE RIDGE AND SAVED THE

AIRFIELDS, WHICH

ALLOWED THE COMBINED

MARINE, ARMY, NAVY AND

ALLIED FORCES TO FORGE

VICTORY AT GUADALCANAL.