Edson's Ridge - Bloody Ridge Memorial

The Japanese ground army launched a serie of large scale assaults on the Lunga ridge between 11 and 14 September 1942, to retake Henderson Field. The ridge was defended by men of the 1st Raider and 1st Parachute Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson. The U.S. Marines stood their ground and inflicted heavy casualties to the Japanese.

In total, 850 Japanese soldiers were killed in the battle. The U.S. Marines lost 104 men.

The memorial
The American war memorial stands on top op "Hill 1", near the site of Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson's command post. It's memorial plaque was stolen in 2003.

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Source

• Text: Kaj Metz
• Photos: Stefan Krasowski (1), Gary Higgins (2)
• Pacific Wrecks