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Sgt Ryan Mahana (Alcatraz)
to remember
Marine Capt Foy Ray Garison.
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Contact Info
Home Town San Antonio
Last Address 4615 Travis St. Dallas, TX
MIA Date Jul 17, 1943
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Solomon Islands
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
VMF-213 was formed July 1, 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii. The squadron left MCAS Ewa on February 21, 1943 and arrived at Espiritu Santo on March 1, 1943. They received their first F4U Corsairs while at Espiritu on March 11, 1943 and after a brief stint training they moved to Guadalcanal in April 1943. On June 17, 1943, VMF-213 relieved VMF-124 in the Russell Islands. While in the Solomons, VMF-213 participated in actions against New Georgia and Kahali and flew throughout the Solomon Islands. On June 30, 1943, in an aerial battle over New Georgia and Rendova, covering the Rendova landings, Foy Garison shot down 2 Zeros in a heavy day of fighting for VMF-213. On July 17th, Garison was shot down in combat over Kahilii, on return, broke division to make a pass on a Zero - both wing tanks blazing - went straight in, not seen to get out.
GARISON, Foy R., 1st Lieutenant USMCR. Father, Mr. Melvin M. Garison, 4615 Travis St., Dallas, Tex + GARISON, Foy Ray, 13387, VMF213, MAG12, 4thMAW, FMF, Solomon Islands, July 18, 1944, killed in action + GARISON, Foy Ray, Captain, O-013387, USMC, from Texas, Manila American Cemetery + GARISON, Foy R, CAPT, O-013387, USMC, from Texas, location Solomon Islands, date of loss July 17, 1943
Capt Foy Ray Garison, pilot, was declared Missing In Action on 17 Jul 1943.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)
From Month/Year
February / 1943
To Month/Year
November / 1944
Description The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942. The Japanese occupied these locations and began the construction of several naval and air bases with the goals of protecting the flank of the Japanese offensive in New Guinea, establishing a security barrier for the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain, and providing bases for interdicting supply lines between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
The Allies, in order to defend their communication and supply lines in the South Pacific, supported a counteroffensive in New Guinea, isolated the Japanese base at Rabaul, and counterattacked the Japanese in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal (see Guadalcanal Campaign) and small neighboring islands on 7 August 1942. These landings initiated a series of combined-arms battles between the two adversaries, beginning with the Guadalcanal landing and continuing with several battles in the central and northern Solomons, on and around New Georgia Island, and Bougainville Island.
In a campaign of attrition fought on land, on sea, and in the air, the Allies wore the Japanese down, inflicting irreplaceable losses on Japanese military assets. The Allies retook some of the Solomon Islands (although resistance continued until the end of the war), and they also isolated and neutralized some Japanese positions, which were then bypassed. The Solomon Islands campaign then converged with the New Guinea campaign.