MOUNT MARTHA, VIC. 1943-05-18. ESCORTED BY THE COLOUR GUARD, EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MARINE ...

MOUNT MARTHA, VIC. 1943-05-18. ESCORTED BY THE COLOUR GUARD, EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS STAND BEFORE THE REVIEWING STAND. THEY ARE TO BE DECORATED FOR GALLANTRY ON GUADALCANAL BY MAJOR GENERAL A. A. VANDEGRIFT, COMMANDING FIRST U.S. MARINE DIVISION. THOSE IN THE FRONT ROW AND THE DECORATIONS THEY ARE TO RECEIVE ARE, LEFT TO RIGHT:- SECOND LIEUTENANT MITCHELL PAIGE, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR; PLATOON SERGEANT JOHN BASILONE, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR; PRIVATE FIRST CLASS BILLIE J. CRUMPTON, NAVAL CROSS; FIRST LIEUTENANT GEORGE S. PLANTIER, SILVER STAR; FIRST CLASS PRIVATE WAYNE K. TALBERT, SILVER STAR; CORPORAL JOSEPH J. CATALE, SILVER STAR; CORPORAL RONALD K. DURRETT, MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES; AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS PHILLIP B. KENNEY, MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES. THE COLOUR GUARD IN REAR IS:- PRIVATE FIRST CLASS S. J. PUZACKE, SERGEANT W. R. SANNER, (OBSCURED), CORPORAL C. F. THOMPSON AND PRIVATE FIRST CLASS H. L. BLAKE.