MOUNT MARTHA, VIC. 1943-05-18. FOUR MEMBERS OF THE FIRST U.S. MARINE DIVISION WHO HAVE RECEIVED ...

MOUNT MARTHA, VIC. 1943-05-18. FOUR MEMBERS OF THE FIRST U.S. MARINE DIVISION WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR, THE U.S. NATION'S HIGHEST WAR TIME AWARD. LEFT TO RIGHT, THEY ARE:- MAJOR GENERAL A. A. VANDEGRIFT, COMMANDING FIRST MARINE DIVISION, COLONEL M. EDSON, WHO COMMANDED A RAIDER BATTALION ON GUADALCANAL, SECOND LIEUTENANT MITCHELL PAIGE, A MACHINE GUNNER AND PLATOON SERGEANT AT THE TIME OF HIS ACTION ON GUADALCANAL AND PLATOON SERGEANT JOHN BASILONE, A MACHINE GUNNER. THE LATTER TWO RECEIVED THEIR DECORATIONS FROM MAJOR GENERAL VANDEGRIFT ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AT THE CEREMONIAL PARADE AT WHICH THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN. BOTH ARE MEMBERS OF THE SEVENTH MARINE REGIMENT AND RECEIVED THEIR MEDALS FOR GALLANTRY ON GUADALCANAL.