Carole Engle Avriett, 'Marine Raiders'

Veterans Chronicles

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. Marine Corps set out to create the first two battalions of Marine Raiders. These well-trained, elite commando units quickly proved themselves better than the best Japanese troops on Guadalcanal and on the surrounding islands known as Tulagi and Makin Atoll. Two more battalions were soon created but the raiders were disbanded when the realities of war demanded it.
In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles", we'll speak with Carole Engle Avriett, author of "Marine Raiders: The True Story of the WWII Battlions." Avriett explains how the raiders came to be and how the battalions embodied the personalities of their commanders. She also follows individual raiders during the brutal battle of Bloody Ridge and the extended jungle mission known as the long patrol.