MYTHS OF MAKIN...BY KENNETH L. MCCULLOUGH

Carlson's Raiders, Makin Island Raid, Guadalcanal-The Long Patrol...

The following came to me by way of an e-mail from my friend Sgt Kenneth L. McCullough. "Mac" was a member of Baker Company, 2d Raiders, Carlson's Raiders (2d Marine Raider Battalion) and was with Carlson on the Makin Island Raid, and also later on Carlson's equally famous "The Long Patrol"--30 days behind enemy lines on Guadalcanal in November-December 1942.

I have been very fortunate while on the Internet these last seven years or so, as I have come into contact with Marines like Mac, members of the Carlson family, and other Marine raiders, both Carlson's, Edson's, and others. For me it has been a very high honor, and I value highly the interaction and information provided.
Mac can be reached via e-mail at radermac2b@cox.net
Semper Fidelis
Dick Gaines
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GUNNY
THIS IS A LITTLE SOMETHING I PUT TOGETHER ABOUT THE MAKIN RAID. WE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF PUBLICITY IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. SOME GOOD SOME BAD. I JUST HATE FOR PEOPLE TO GET THE WRONG IDEA ABOUT COL. CARLSON.

WITH THE AMOUNT OF MARINE STUFF YOU GET I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ THIS.
GUNG HO
MAC

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MYTHS OF MAKIN

THERE HAS BEEN MANY ARTICLES WRITTEN ABOUT CARLSON'S RAID ON MAKIN.
SOME OF THEM TRUE BUT ALSO A LOT OF THEM (MYTHS) GOOD READING UNLESS YOU KNOW THE TRUTH.

#1

THE RIFLE SHOT BY MITCHELL JUST AS WE LANDED. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT BUT IT HAPPENED. WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN WAS ALL HELL DID NOT BREAK LOOSE. IT WAS ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE THE FIGHTING STARTED..

#2

CARLSON'S PANIC. I WAS WITH CARLSON MOST OF THE TWO DAY'S. HE ACTED LIKE A MAN ON A MISSION. BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN GROCERY SHOPPING, OR A DAY IN TRANING.HE WAS ABOUT THE MOST CALM GUY ON THE ISLAND.

#3

THE SURRENDER NOTE.: I HEARD ABOUT THE NOTE ABOUT FIFTY YEARS AFTER THE RAID.THERE WAS NO WAY IN HELL CARLSON WOULD HAVE SURRENDERED WITH THE PRESIDENT'S SON WITH US. CARLSON WOULD HAVE DIED DEFENDING US.

THE TWO MEN WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO DELIVERED THE NOTE.THE STORY GOES AS THEY LEFT THE TENT WHERE THEY GAVE THE JAP THE NOTE. THEY SAW A JAP RUNNING. ONE OF THEM GRABBED A JAP PISTOL AND IT WOULD NOT FIRE. SO HE GRABED A RIFLE AND SHOT THE JAP.(OUR TWO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WITHOUT WEAPONS,THERE JUST HAPPENED TO BE THESE WEAPONS LAYING AROUND) HOW FAR HAD THE JAP RUN WHILE ALL OF THIS GUN GRABBING WAS GOING ON?? IT WAS AT LEAST TWELVE OCLOCK AT NITE AND THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON. MAKES YOU WONDER.

ALSO IT WAS TOLD THAT THE COLONEL FORGOT THE MEN THAT WAS GUARDING OUR WITHDRAWL. WE DID NOT GET OFF THE ISLAND BUT IF WE HAD WOULD THE MEN JUST SET UP CAMP ON THE ISLAND. THEIR BOATS WERE THERE I BELIEVE ONE OF THEM WOULD BE SMART ENOUGH TO FIGURE IT WAS TIME TO GO. UNLESS THEY ALL WANTED SOME ONE TO COME BACK TO THE ISLAND AND TELL THEM IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE??

#4

COMMUNICATING WITH THE SUBS. MOST STORIES IS THAT WE CONTACTED THE SUBS BY RADIO BUT WE HAD NO WORKING RADIOS THAT SECOND DAY THE FOUR RADIOMEN I HAD WERE ALL KILLED THE FIRST DAY, AND THE RADIOS WERE NOT REILABLE. THE SECOND DAY THE SUBS HAD TO DIVE THAT MORNING. SO IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SUBS SURFACED I USED A FLASHLITE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.

#5

MEN LEFT BEHIND

EARLY ON THE SECOND DAY A BOAT FROM THE SUB CAME INTO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BREAKERS AND A MARINE SWAM IN AND TOLD THE COLONEL THAT THE SUB COMMANDER SAID HE WOULD BE THERE UNTIL WE ALL GOT OFF. THEN THE MARINE SWAM BACK TO THE RUBBER BOAT, ABOUT THAT TIME JAP PLANES CAME OVER. THE SUBS DIVED AND THE RUBBER BOAT WAS STRAFFED. WE WATCHED FOR THE MARINES IN THE BOAT BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE EVER SAW ANY OF THEM. EARLY THAT DAY THE COLONEL TOLD THE BOYS THAT IF THEY COULD GET A CREW TOGETTHER AND THOUGHT THEY COULD GET TO THE SUBS THAT GO AHEAD AND TRY.THIS WAS BEFORE THE PLANES CAME OVER.(ONE STORY IS THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE COLONEL SAID HE WAS GOING TO SURRENDER AND IT WAS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF WHICH IS A LOT OF BULL) AFTER THE SUBS DIVED WE ALL GATHERED AND THE COLONEL TOLD EVERYONE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SUBS TO SURFACE AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BE LATE IN THE AFTER NOON.

THEN HE SENT SOME PATROLS OUT TO SEE WHAT THE SITUATION WAS. THE COLONEL WENT OUT WHERE THE DEAD MARINES I DON'T KNOW JUST WHAT HE DID HE TOLD ME TO KEEP WATCH FOR THE SUBS. BY ABOUT ELEVEN OCLOCK EVERY ONE WAS BACK WHERE WE SPENT THE NITE. THE COLONEL TOLD US THAT WHEN WE CONTACTED THE SUB WE WOULD ASK THEM TO COME AROUND TO THE LAGOON SIDE OF THE ISLAND.

THE COLONEL CONTACTED THE NATIVES AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO BURY OUR DEAD. AROUND FIVE THE SUB SURFACED AND I CONTACTED THEM AND ASK THEM TO PICK US UP OFF THE POINT ON THE LAGOON SIDE. THEN WE DRAGGED FOUR RUBBER BOATS ACROSS THE ISLAND. THERE WE FOUND A NATIVE OUTRIGGER, WE LASHED THREE BOATS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE OUTRIGGER AND ONE ON THE LEFT, ABOUT SEVEN WE SHOVED OFF. ONE MOTOR AND THE REST PADDLES.

IT WAS SLOW. LOOKING AT THE SHORE WE WERE BARELY MOVING, THE MEN IN THE FAR RIGHT BOAT WANTED TO CUT LOOSE AND GO ON. THE COLONEL TOLD THEM IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE ALL STAYED TOGATHER. SO AFTER ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES WE WERE STILL BARELY MOVING. THE MEN ASKED THE COLONEL AGAIN TO CUT LOOSE AND HE GAVE PERMISSION. THEY REALLY MOVED OUT IN A HURRY AND, THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE SAW THEM.

WE FINALY GOT TO THE SUB THE MEN WERE NOT ON THE SUB. WE JUST SUPPOSED THEY HAD BOARDED THE OTHER SUB. WE SET SAIL AND DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE NOT WITH US UNTIL WE GOT BACK TO HONOLULU.AND TO ME THOSE ARE THE BOYS THAT WERE CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO KWAJALEIN

BRIAN THIS IS THE WAY I SAW THE LAST DAY OF THE RAID, I WILL BE GLAD TO DISCUSS IT WITH ANYONE, AND IF I AM WRONG TELL ME SO AND PROVE IT.

I GOT THE STUFF YOU SENT AND, A LOT OF I HAVE NEVER SEEN.IT LOOKS GOOD TO ME.

GUNG HO

MAC.

PS MY COMPUTER DON'T SPELL SO GOOD SO JUST OVERLOOK IT.MAC
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Note:
See related info on Col. Carlson, Marine Raiders, Makin Island, Guadalcanal, etc. on Gunny G's...
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Gunny G's...
GLOBE and ANCHOR
Marines Sites & Forums
By R.W. "Dick" Gaines
GySgt USMC (Ret.)
1952-72
Semper Fidelis
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GyG's G&A Sites & Forums is an informational site and not for profit. Copyrighted material provided soley for education, study, research, and discussion, etc. Full credit to source shown when available.
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