When 2,500 Lost to 800 Marines - Japan's First Major Defeat of WW2

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Deep within the dense canopy of ancient trees and tangled undergrowth that unfolded over the island of Guadalcanal like a fever dream, there stood a monumental ridge that in 1942 would become the setting to some of the most brutal and sweltering fighting of World War 2.

For the Japanese, the ridge was the only thing standing between their troops and Henderson Field, a vital airbase that gave US forces air supremacy over the region. Capturing the site would be essential for the Empire’s war efforts.

On the summit of that ominous landmass, Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Merritt, “Red Mike,” Edson would volunteer to lead a group of 800 marines in an unparalleled resistance effort to contain the hordes of seasoned warriors of the Imperial Japanese Army who would fight to the last man to take control of the site.

On September 12, 1945, as night fell, the jungle's maw swallowed the remnants of the day, the oppressive darkness rendering the landscape eerily quiet. It was a silence so profound it seemed to throb in the ears of the defending marines. Hearts pounding like tribal drums, the rhythm pulsed through their veins as they gripped their rifles with white-knuckled determination.

Suddenly, the tranquility was shattered. The roar of artillery fire unleashed a maelstrom of violence, one of the most horrific attacks in US military history. It was a crucible of such intensity, the resulting brutality etched an indelible mark upon the location, earning it the chilling epithet of Bloody Ridge.

The battle, however, would not be the ridge's final claim to fame. Another title awaited the serpentine strip of elevated terrain, a tribute to the valiant men who dared to defy fate under the stern command of "Red Mike". Their courage altered the course of history, and in honor of their valor, the ridge would forever bear a more dignified title: Edson’s Ridge...