Abrahamson, Gerald T, PFC

Fallen

Service Photo

Service Details

Last Rank
Private 1st Class

Last Primary MOS
745-Rifleman

Last MOSGroup
WWI & WWII SSN/MOS

Primary Unit
1943-1944, 745, 2nd Bn, 21st Marine Regiment (2/21)

Service Years
1942 - 1944

Last Photo

Personal Details

Home State

Minnesota

Year of Birth
1921

This Military Service Page was created/owned by Sgt Mike Fullarton (Program) to remember Marine PFC Gerald T Abrahamson.

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Casualty Info

Home Town St. Paul	Last Address 1148 Lincoln Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota

Casualty Date Jul 22, 1944
Cause Hostile, Died	Reason Unknown, Not Reported
Location Guam	Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Not Specified	Wall/Plot Coordinates Temple of Aaron Cemetery, Roseville, MN

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Association Memberships


	1944, World War II Fallen

Marianas Operation /Battle of Guam (1944)
From Month/Year July / 1944	To Month/Year August / 1944
Description Guam, ringed by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf, presents a formidable challenge for an attacker. But despite the obstacles, on 21 July, the Americans landed on both sides of the Orote peninsula on the western side of Guam, planning to cut off the airfield. The 3rd Marine Division landed near Agana to the north of Orote at 08:28, and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade landed near Agat to the south. Japanese artillery sank 20 LVTs, and inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans, especially on the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, but by 09:00 men and tanks were ashore at both beaches. The 77th Infantry Division had a more difficult landing. Lacking amphibious vehicles, they had to wade ashore from the edge of the reef where they were dropped by their landing craft. The men stationed in the two beachheads were pinned down by heavy Japanese fire, making initial progress inland quite slow. US Marines move inland. By nightfall, the Americans had established beachheads about 6,600 feet (2,000 m) deep.[1] Japanese counterattacks were made throughout the first few days of the battle, mostly at night, using infiltration tactics. Several times, they penetrated the American defenses and were driven back with heavy loss of men and equipment. Lieutenant General Takeshi Takashina was killed on 28 July, and Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata took over the command of the defenders. Supply was very difficult[2] for the Americans in the first days of the battle. Landing ships could not come closer than the reef, several hundred yards from the beach, and amphibious vehicles were scarce. However, the two beachheads were joined up on 25 July, and the Orote airfield and Apra harbor were captured by 30 July. The counterattacks against the American beachheads, as well as the fierce fighting, had exhausted the Japanese. At the start of August, they were running out of food and ammunition and had only a handful of tanks left. Obata withdrew his troops from the south of Guam, planning to make a stand in the mountainous central and northern part of the island. But with resupply and reinforcement impossible because of American control of the sea and air around Guam, he could hope to do no more than delay the inevitable defeat for a few days. Rain and thick jungle made conditions difficult for the Americans, but after an engagement at Mount Barrigada from 2-4 August, the Japanese line collapsed; the rest of the battle was a pursuit to the north. As in other battles of the Pacific War, the Japanese refused to surrender, and almost all were killed. On 10 August, after three weeks of combat, organized Japanese resistance ended, and Guam was declared secure. The next day, Obata committed ritual suicide.

My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year July / 1944	To Month/Year August / 1944

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020

Personal Memories

Units Participated in Operation
4th Marine Regiment
1st Bn, 21st Marine Regiment (1/21)
6th Marine Division
3rd Bn, 22nd Marine Regiment (3/22)
2nd Bn, 22nd Marine Regiment (2/22)
1st Bn, 22nd Marine Regiment (1/22)
2nd Bn, 4th Marine Regiment (2/4), 4th Marine Regiment
3rd Bn, 4th Marine Regiment (3/4), 4th Marine Regiment
3rd Bn, 9th Marine Regiment (3/9)
3rd Combat Engineer Bn
2nd Bn, 21st Marine Regiment (2/21)
21st Marine Regiment
3rd Bn, 21st Marine Regiment (3/21)
2nd Separate Engineer Bn
USS PRESIDENT JACKSON (T-AP-18)
2nd Bn, 12th Marine Regiment (2/12)
3rd Amtrac Bn
VMGR-152
3rd Marine Division
MARDET USS Essex (CVA-9)