Andrew Haldane
Encyclopedia
Andrew Allison Haldane known as Andy and nicknamed "Ack-Ack", was an officer in the United States Marine Corps
in the Pacific theatre during World War II
. He was shot and killed during the Battle of Peleliu
. Haldane is "one of the most revered figures in the history of the U.S. Marines."
Haldane was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts
and lived in Methuen, Massachusetts
most of his life. He graduated from the Searles High School
in 1935. He attended St John’s Prep in Danvers, then Bridgton Academy
in Bridgton, Maine.
He graduated from Bowdoin College
in Brunswick, Maine
, where the memory of Captain Haldane is honored annually by presenting the Haldane Cup to the graduating senior who has displayed outstanding qualities of leadership and character. At Bowdoin he was captain of the football team and president of the student council, and he was voted most popular senior in 1940. He became assistant football coach at Bowdoin in October 1941 after graduating that June. He had planned to coach for a season before joining the Marine Corps, but he was called up after coaching for a mere two weeks.
He became a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1942, graduating from the Reserve Officers' Training School in Quantico
. He served with the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal
, and was commanding officer of Company K at Cape Gloucester
, where he received the Silver Star
for leading hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to capture an airfield. He led Company K through most of the fight for Peleliu
. Haldane was shot by a Japan
ese sniper
on October 12, 1944, while assessing the area of Hill 140 during the Battle of Peleliu
in the Palau Islands, three days before the Marines came off the lines. A Sea Scouts Ship was named in his honor at his old college.
, a mortar-man in Company "K", describes what happened to his company's commander in his book, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
.
At the time of Captain Haldane's death, the bulk of Company K was operating with its parent battalion (3/5)
on Hill 140 within the Umurbrogol Pocket. In an attempt to orient himself to the strange terrain his company was occupying, Haldane was peeking over a ridge and was shot by a Japanese sniper and was killed instantly. First Lieutenant Thomas J. Stanley succeeded him as commander of K/3/5. Stanley led Company K through the remainder of the Peleliu campaign and on to Okinawa
the following spring.
In his book, Sledge pays his beloved leader a personal tribute:
Haldane is portrayed by actor Scott Gibson in the 2010 HBO miniseries, The Pacific
, which used Sledge's memoir as source material.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in the Pacific theatre during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was shot and killed during the Battle of Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
. Haldane is "one of the most revered figures in the history of the U.S. Marines."
Haldane was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
and lived in Methuen, Massachusetts
Methuen, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
most of his life. He graduated from the Searles High School
Searles High School
Searles High School is an historic structure at 41 Pleasant Street in Methuen, Massachusetts. Built in 1904 as a high school on land donated by wealthy industrialist Edward Searles, it now houses the Methuen Town Offices....
in 1935. He attended St John’s Prep in Danvers, then Bridgton Academy
Bridgton Academy
Bridgton Academy is an all-male college preparatory boarding school in North Bridgton, Maine. The school offers a true transitional year, to help students who have completed their senior year of high school gain the academic skills, study skills, self-discipline, and self-confidence necessary to...
in Bridgton, Maine.
He graduated from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
, where the memory of Captain Haldane is honored annually by presenting the Haldane Cup to the graduating senior who has displayed outstanding qualities of leadership and character. At Bowdoin he was captain of the football team and president of the student council, and he was voted most popular senior in 1940. He became assistant football coach at Bowdoin in October 1941 after graduating that June. He had planned to coach for a season before joining the Marine Corps, but he was called up after coaching for a mere two weeks.
He became a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in 1942, graduating from the Reserve Officers' Training School in Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
. He served with the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, and was commanding officer of Company K at Cape Gloucester
Battle of Cape Gloucester
The Battle of Cape Gloucester was a battle in the Pacific theater of World War II, which took place between late December 1943 and April 1944, on the island of New Britain, part of the Territory of New Guinea....
, where he received the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for leading hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to capture an airfield. He led Company K through most of the fight for Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
. Haldane was shot by a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
on October 12, 1944, while assessing the area of Hill 140 during the Battle of Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
in the Palau Islands, three days before the Marines came off the lines. A Sea Scouts Ship was named in his honor at his old college.
In Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed
Eugene SledgeEugene Sledge
Eugene Bondurant Sledge was a United States Marine, university professor, and author. His 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa chronicled his combat experiences during World War II and was subsequently used as source material for Ken Burns's PBS documentary, The War, as well as...
, a mortar-man in Company "K", describes what happened to his company's commander in his book, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
With the old breed
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa is a World War II memoir by Eugene Sledge, a United States Marine. Since its first publication in 1981, With the Old Breed has been recognized as one of the best first-hand accounts of combat in the Pacific during World War II...
.
At the time of Captain Haldane's death, the bulk of Company K was operating with its parent battalion (3/5)
3rd Battalion 5th Marines
3rd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion, nicknamed "Dark Horse", is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and consists of approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors...
on Hill 140 within the Umurbrogol Pocket. In an attempt to orient himself to the strange terrain his company was occupying, Haldane was peeking over a ridge and was shot by a Japanese sniper and was killed instantly. First Lieutenant Thomas J. Stanley succeeded him as commander of K/3/5. Stanley led Company K through the remainder of the Peleliu campaign and on to Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
the following spring.
In his book, Sledge pays his beloved leader a personal tribute:
Capt. Andy Haldane wasn't an idol. He was human. But he commanded our individual destinies under the most trying conditions with the utmost compassion. We knew he could never be replaced. He was the finest Marine officer I ever knew. The loss of many close friends grieved me deeply on PeleliuPeleliuPeleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
and Okinawa. But to all of us the loss of our company commander at Peleliu was like losing a parent we depended upon for security – not our physical security, because we knew that was a commodity beyond our reach in combat, but our mental security.... So ended the outstanding combat career of a fine officerOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
who had distinguished himself at GuadalcanalGuadalcanalGuadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, Cape GloucesterCape GloucesterCape Gloucester is a headland, in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at . During World War II, the Japanese captured New Britain, and had driven most of Cape Gloucester's native population out to construct two airfields...
, and PeleliuPeleliuPeleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
. We had lost our leader and our friend. Our lives would never be the same. But we turned back to the ugly business at hand.
Haldane is portrayed by actor Scott Gibson in the 2010 HBO miniseries, The Pacific
The Pacific (miniseries)
The Pacific is a 2010 television series produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Sky Movies, Playtone and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010....
, which used Sledge's memoir as source material.