James Gleason 4th Raider Battalion
Age 17 on New Georgia
WELCOME
TO NEW MEMBER “DOC” GLEASON
This message was sent by
Jim on 4 April 2000
This is a picture of James Gleason in Auckland,NZ, 5 October 1943, following New
Georgia Island attacks. (Segi Point, Viru Harbor, Enogai Inlet, and Bairoko
Harbor) New Georgia.
I didn't know it at the time, but it is generally believed, I was the youngest
U.S.Navy Raider Corpsman to see action in the Pacific at age 17.
The picture was taken on liberty after I was transferred back to the USA, and
stationed at US Naval Air Station, Lakehurst,NJ, and then to US Naval Hospital,
Philadelphia, before volunteering in early 1944 for Marine Corps oversea duty,
but instead transferred to Destroyer sea duty. Put the USS Hugh Purvis, DD709 in
commission in Bayonne,NJ. Served in Atlantic, then went thru Panama Canal to
Pearl Harbor, where I received orders to a Floating Dry Dock, and then
transferred to USS Waxwing AM 17, a Minesweeper for independent. Based at
Sasebo, Japan, and got to see damage to Nagasaki.
Semper Fi.
