George Ray Tweed
Encyclopedia
George Ray Tweed was a radioman
Radioman
Radioman was a rating for United States Navy and United States Coast Guard enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology.-History of the rating:...

 in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 at the outbreak of 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...

.

A sixteen year veteran of the Navy, Tweed was the chief radioman on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 when the Japanese invaded the island on December 10, 1941. He and five other men slipped into the Guam jungle rather than become prisoners of war.

When the Japanese became aware of these men on the island, they began to hunt for them. The Japanese issued an order demanding that they surrender within a 30 day period or be beheaded when captured. None of the men surrendered and the Japanese eventually captured and executed all of them except Tweed. The Japanese also executed local Chamorro natives whom they suspected of helping the missing Americans.

Tweed managed to elude the Japanese for two years and seven months, until just before the start of the Battle of Guam. On July 10, 1944, he was able to signal two destroyers involved in preparations for the impending US invasion. He was rescued by a whaleboat from the USS McCall (DD-400)
USS McCall (DD-400)
The second USS McCall was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Edward R. McCall.-History:McCall was laid down 17 March 1936 at the Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California; launched 20 November 1937; sponsored by Miss Eleanor Kempff; and commissioned...

.

For his heroism, Tweed was awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 and promoted.

According to a newspaper article (Le Petit Journal, Montreal) from August 25, 1946, George Tweed had promised a local native, Antonio Artero, a brand new car if he evaded capture and returned to the United States. Tweed, with the help of General Motors, sent a car to Antonio Artero from San Francisco.

George Tweed died in an automobile accident in 1989. He is buried at Eagle Point National Cemetery
Eagle Point National Cemetery
Eagle Point National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located just east of Eagle Point, Jackson County of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is about northeast of Medford.It encompasses , and at the end of 2005, had 12,049 interments.- History :...

 in Oregon.

George Tweed's story is told in short in the official US Navy documentary on the Battle of Guam, as well as in the 1944 book Robinson Crusoe, USN. His story was also dramatized in the 1962 movie No Man Is an Island
No Man Is an Island (film)
No Man Is an Island is a 1962 war film about the exploits of George Ray Tweed, a United States Navy radioman who avoided capture and execution by the Japanese during their years-long World War II occupation of Guam. It stars Jeffrey Hunter as Tweed...

starring Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...

as Tweed.

External links

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