On 27 October 2023 I sent a email to Webmaster of Missing Marines Website dedicated memorial to over 3,000 USMC Lost in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1946

I dont know if this is helpful to you or not...years ago between 1980..1985...I came across first issue of USMC Leatherneck magazine....it had a short article on excavations on guadacanal and how the remains of a USMC casualty had been found at least his helmet and rifle [ammo[?] had been found..there was speculation it was members of the Geottage patrol.Im sorry I cant remember the exact year or date but I do remember the cover..it was light blue with a drawing of a corsair fighter plane beeing worked on....try ebay for 1980's issue of Leatherneck magazine being sold...

On 1 November 2023 I received the following email reply
I know the case you mean – one Colonel Joe Mueller's trips. Tom Bartlett wrote about it in the August 1988 issue; I'm trying to get a copy for you, but the MCA archive search is hot garbage. (It's titled “In Search Of The Goettge Patrol," pages 29-30). I believe they found 11 total, six determined to be Japanese from the Edson's Ridge area, three in the squatter village near the beach landing site, one at Kokumbona and one near the Matanikau (the one still in his combat equipment). I don't think any of them have been resolved, or the details on the ones not specifically wearing US gear.


I'd suspect they considered that Marine as Corporal William Bainbridge, one of three runners dispatched by Captain Ringer to get help from the 5th Marines. His body was found by Item Company, 5th Marines a few days later – not mutilated as the others had been – and buried in his poncho near the mouth of the Matanikau. The combat patrol would have taken his weapon (or destroyed it since they were in enemy territory) and something to confirm his identity, but buried the rest. Of course, there was a lot of fighting over this area for the next four months with scores of Marines and soldiers buried along the river, so it's impossible to be certain. With the shifting course of the river and the frequent floods, most of those boys will probably never be found.


I'm working on a proposal for DPAA about Guadalcanal unknowns buried in the Punchbowl and will see if I can get any info on the remains found by Col. Mueller.


v/r

Geoffrey

Founder & Lead Researcher

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