MERLE
RALPH CORY was
in his mid 40’s and working as a civilian cryptanalysis at the OP-20-GZ
(Translation and Dissemination Section), the organization responsible
for breaking the Japanese cryptic code prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Then Mr. Cory, was the translator who intercepted the encrypted message
warning of the Pearl Harbor attack. Following December 7th,
he resigned to join the Marine Corps. He was too old for a regular enlistment,
but was offered a direct commission as a 2nd Lieutenant to
fill the Marine Corps’ crisis shortage of Japanese linguists. Cory
was assigned to the S-2 of the Fifth Marines of the 1st Marine
Division. He soon found himself aboard ship heading for Guadalcanal on
August 7, 1942. On Guadalcanal, Lt Cory interrogated several Japanese
prisoners of war, discovering that a large number of Japanese "Marines"
and laborers were willing to surrender. Based on this information, LtCol
Frank Goettge organized a 25-man patrol, along with Lt Cory, to bring
them in. On August 12, The Goettge Patrol deployed to the designated area
and was immediately taken under fire from the Japanese. Col Goettge was
killed with the first burst of fire, and Lt Cory fell gravely wounded
with a bullet in the stomach. The ensuing battle left the entire patrol
killed, save three. Cory was listed as missing in action on 13 August
1942, which was changed to Killed in Action (body not recovered) a year
later.
Lt Merle Ralph Cory,
USMCR is honored with a headstone erected in New Tacoma Cemetery, Tacoma,
Washington.
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GERALD
PRICE HOLTOM was
born on January 31, 1915 in Japan, where his parents were Baptist missionaries
from 1910 to 1940. Holtom could speak Japanese like a native. The date
of Holtom’s entry in the Marine Corps is unknown and subsequently
designated the Intelligence Officer and Interpreter/Interrogator for the
2nd Marine Raider Battalion, the famous Carlson’s Raiders,
under command of LtCol Evans F. Carlson. Captain Holtom was killed on
August 17, 1942 in a raid to destroy a seaplane base on Butaritari Island
of the Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. In a letter received by his
parents, Carlson wrote, "On
the morning we landed at Makin, Jerry was with me. We captured a post
office and Jerry came to me and said that he intended to examine some
Japanese notices which were posted on the bulletin board. I told him that
I would be along the road leading to the right flank of our position.
The battle was in progress. He was looking for me along this road when
a sniper shot him, the bullet passing through his left chest and emerging
behind the right shoulder. He lived only ten seconds."
The body of Captain Holtom and 18 other Marines were buried on the small
coral reef island after the two-day raid. In 1999 these bodies were recovered
and identified when searchers found an island resident who, as a young
boy, had helped bury the bodies.
On August 17, 2001
Captain Holtom was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military
honors.