Medal of Honor: Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift – Guadalcanal – August–December 1942
He led the first major American offensive of World War II, holding the line on Guadalcanal against relentless assaults from land, sea, and air—and forged the victory that changed the momentum of the Pacific War.
December 9, 2025
Name: Alexander Archer Vandegrift
Rank: Major General
Organization: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: 1st Marine Division
Place and Date: Solomon Islands, 7 August to 9 December 1942
Entered Service At: Virginia
Born: March 13, 1887 – Charlottesville, Virginia
Summary of Action
In the opening months of America’s Pacific campaign, Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift commanded the 1st Marine Division during the first great Allied offensive—the landings and defense of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. Facing an experienced and determined Japanese force, operating in brutal jungle terrain, and enduring torrential rain, disease, and supply shortages, Vandegrift led a coalition of Marine, Navy, and Army elements in a battle whose outcome would shape the future course of the war.
Under his calm but unyielding leadership, the Marines seized the beachheads, captured the vital airfield at Lunga Point—later named Henderson Field—and repelled repeated Japanese counterattacks by land, sea, and air. Vandegrift’s tenacity guided his outnumbered division through months of near-constant combat: nighttime assaults by elite Japanese infantry, naval bombardments that shook the island, and desperate defensive fights that became legendary—Bloody Ridge, Edson’s Ridge, and the Tenaru.
Despite overwhelming odds, harsh weather, disease, and logistical isolation, Vandegrift’s command never broke. His steady leadership preserved the division, shattered Japanese plans to retake the island, and secured the first major American victory of the Pacific War.
Medal of Honor Citation
