Guadalcanal's Forgotten Fight: The U.S. Army’s Crucial Role Hardcover – October 1, 2026

Reveals the overlooked role of U.S. Army soldiers in Guadalcanal’s prolonged and brutal ground campaign.When the name Guadalcanal is mentioned, most picture Marines desperately fighting in the dense jungles and the U.S. Navy in dramatic surface battles. That story, though true, tells only part of the campaign. Less well known is the role played by the United States Army. While the Marines landed and fought off several Japanese counterattacks it was the Army’s soldiers who followed and bore a large share of the brutal ground fighting that stretched on for months. These fights were not “mopping up” actions normally associated with the Army, but brutal battles against a determined enemy.Arriving under difficult conditions and often overshadowed by their naval brethren, the Army’s contributions on Guadalcanal have too often been relegated to the footnotes of history. This account finally brings them out of the shadows, recounting their contribution through a blend of operational history with clear soldier perspectives. Drawing on official records, terrain analysis and firsthand testimonies, the book provides new accounts from multiple perspectives, including Japanese sources not previously published. Units such as the 25th Infantry Division, Americal Division and the 147th Infantry Regiment are covered in detail.Dave Holland, a former U.S. Marine and law enforcement investigator, spent three years on the ground, studying the battlefields through research, investigation, and documentation. Drawing on his military experience and investigative skills, Holland offers a detailed analysis of the campaign with attention to the role of terrain. Following on from his first work, Guadalcanal’s Longest Fight, this book serves as a companion to tell the complete land campaign story.Table of ContentsChapter 1: “ThrowingtheEnemyintoDisarray”:BackgroundChapter 2: “Great Congestion of Troops”: Prelude to Henderson Field BattleChapter 3: “WherewereThey?”:TheBattleofHendersonFieldCommencesChapter 4: “GunsintheDark”:DestructionoftheSendaiDivisionChapter 5: “WearetoBayonettheFirstWave”:BattleofKoliPointChapter 6: “DoortoHellOpening”:TheNovemberBuild-upandtheTurningChapter 7: “WhataNightmareofaDay”:5thBattleoftheMatanikauChapter 8: “HadTakentheMeasureoftheEnemy”:OpeningMovesonMtAustenChapter 9: “TheGuadalcanal1000-yardStare”:Hill27andtheJanuarybuildupChapter 10: “AFittingCurtainRaisingPerformance”:The25thDivisionAttacksChapter 11: “ThisisaBattletotheDeath”:TheFinalOffensiveChapter 12: “ItwasaLongandPainfulBattle”:PursuitandConclusionConclusion Annexes Read more