Oral History Interview with David Van Fleet, May 3, 2001 Page: 2

Transcript of an oral interview with David Van Fleet. Mr Van Fleet graduated from high school in 1941, went to A&M on a football scholarship, staying there until midterm when the war broke out and he joined the Marine Corps. After boot camp in San Diego, he joined the 4th Marine Raiders Battalion, D Company. After additional training with the Raiders, his outfit went overseas in February 1943, ending up in Espiritu Santo. They went to Guadalcanal in June, stayed there for a month, and then landed on Vangunu Island, New Georgia. Van Fleet provides a very good description of landing on the island and the fighting there under deplorable conditions. Then they crossed over to Gatukai island because the natives said there were Japanese there too. The outfit then went back to Guadalcanal for a few days before heading back to New Georgia (Bairoko Harbor). Van Fleet states this was the only battle he knows of that we lost. Included as an appendix to this oral history are a few pages from a history of that battle by Major General Peatross. He understood that this was about the end for the Raiders so he asked to be transferred to the 3rd Marine Division which was coming up from New Zealand. They went back to Guadalcanal and got there just in time to go to Bougainville; staying about 100 days. After coming back from Bougainville, Van Fleet talks about setting up a saw mill on Guadalcanal as well as a whiskey still. The 3rd Division then sailed for the Marianas. They were held in reserve during the battle for Saipan and ended up landing on Guam. Van Fleet contracted malaria as well as dengue fever there and was put on a hospital ship which sailed to the hospital on Guadalcanal. He recovered in a couple weeks and was sent home. After some leave and shore duty, Van Fleet was discharged. He was in three campaigns during the war.