Everett F. Larson
Encyclopedia
Everett F. Larson was a United States Marine who received the Silver Star
for his actions during World War II
.
, Connecticut
. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
on January 13, 1942.
Serving in the Guadalcanal Campaign
during World War II, Private First Class
Larson was killed in action
on Guadalcanal
on October 8, 1942 while attempting to swim the Matanikau River
under heavy Japan
ese fire to rescue a wounded comrade (see Actions along the Matanikau
).
for his selfless courage, and shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the 1st Marine Division for its actions on Guadalcanal.
was named for Private First Class Larson. Her cionstruction was cancelled in 1944.
In 1945, the destroyer
USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830)
, in commission
from 1945 to 1972, was named in his honor.
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 his actions 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...
.
Biography
Everett Frederick Larson was born on September 3, 1920 in StamfordStamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
United States Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...
on January 13, 1942.
Serving in the Guadalcanal Campaign
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
during World War II, Private First Class
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
Larson was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
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...
on October 8, 1942 while attempting to swim the Matanikau River
Matanikau River
The Matanikau River of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, is located in the northwest part of the island. During the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, several significant engagements occurred between United States and Japanese forces near the river.-References:...
under heavy 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 fire to rescue a wounded comrade (see Actions along the Matanikau
Actions along the Matanikau
The Actions along the Matanikau in September and October 1942—sometimes referred to as the Second and Third Battles of the Matanikau—were two separate but related engagements among a series of engagements between the United States and Imperial Japanese naval and ground forces around the Matanikau...
).
Awards
Larson was posthumously awarded the Silver StarSilver 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 his selfless courage, and shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the 1st Marine Division for its actions on Guadalcanal.
Namesakes
In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Everett F. Larson (DE-554)USS Everett F. Larson (DE-554)
USS Everett F. Larson was a proposed World War II United States Navy John C. Butler-class destroyer escort that was never completed....
was named for Private First Class Larson. Her cionstruction was cancelled in 1944.
In 1945, the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830)
USS Everett F. Larson (DD-830)
USS Everett F. Larson was a of the United States Navy, named for Private First Class Everett F. Larson who was killed in the Guadalcanal campaign....
, in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
from 1945 to 1972, was named in his honor.