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Marine Sergeant Al Schmid – September ‘96 World War II FeatureWorld War II | 10 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post Personality Subscribe Today
Marine Sergeant Al Schmid lost an eye while heroically manning a machine gun in bloody fighting on Guadalcanal. By William B. Allmon In 1945, Warner Brothers released a movie titled Pride of the Marines, based on a book by Roger Butterfield, starring John Garfield, Eleanor Parker and Dane Clark. Both the book and the film were based on the life and experiences of a unique American hero, Marine Sergeant Albert “Al” Schmid. Al Schmid fought at Guadalcanal, and when he came home, he fought another battle, for sanity, health and happiness. Born in 1920, the son of Mr. and Mrs Adolph E. Schmid, Al grew up a cheerful, freckle-faced kid in Burholme, Pa., a Philadelphia neighborhood. After his mother died, Schmid was on his own. He worked on farms and other odd jobs. In 1940, he became an apprentice burner at the Dodge Steel Company in northeast Philadelphia, near the Delaware River. Since he could not afford his own place, Schmid lived with fellow Dodge Steel worker Jim Merchant and his wife, Ella Mae, in a row house on Tulip Street near the Tacoma-Palmyra bridge. While living with the Merchants, Schmid met Ruth Hartley, a friend of the family, who worked at a Sears department store in Philadelphia. In time, Schmid fell in love with Ruth, whom he called “Babs.”‘ On Sunday, December 7, 1941, Schmid was sprawled out on the floor of Jim Merchant’s house, looking at the paper and trying to get up the energy to get dressed for a date he had with Ruth that night. Then, all of a sudden, the radio stopped playing dance music; a voice relayed the startling news that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. Thinking it was a joke, Schmid tuned in another station. Pretty soon they said the same thing. “All this time,” Schmid remembered, “I was lying there like a dumb cluck, not thinking of it; finally I called to Jim, and said, ‘Hey, Jim, the radio keeps saying there is a war with Japan–where the hell is Pearl Harbor?’” Then he got dressed and took Ruth ice skating. Ruth did not learn about Pearl Harbor (Schmid didn’t tell her) until she came home later that evening. For a day or so, Schmid could not see how the war affected him. Then things changed. He talked to Ruth about enlisting in the Marines, but she didn’t take him seriously; he was always talking big. On December 9, 1941, he told her, “I’m in. I went down to the Custom House and signed up.” Schmid left Philadelphia on January 5, 1942. After recruit training at Parris Island, S.C., and further training at New River, N.C., he returned to Philadelphia on a short leave before heading for “destination unknown.” He collected a bonus from Dodge Steel for his work during 1941 and used the money to buy an engagement ring for Ruth. Soon afterward, Schmid boarded the troop transport George F. Elliot as part of the 11th Machine Gun Squad, Company H, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Marine Division. On August 7, 1942, the 10,000 men of the 1st Marine Division, under Maj. Gen. Alexander Archer Vandegrift, the largest Marine force ever engaged in landing operations up to that time, assaulted Guadalcanal, beginning the first American offensive against the Japanese. The Marines had expected a counterattack the moment they landed, but encountered no real opposition during their first two weeks. Then the Japanese sent a crack army regiment commanded by Colonel Kiyono Ichiki from Rabaul to retake Guadalcanal. Ichiki landed his elite troops on Guadalcanal on August 18, then marched west toward Marine positions along the Ilu River (mismarked on the American maps as the Tenaru). Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Pollock’s 2nd Marine Battalion was waiting. H Company’s machine-gun squad was there also. Schmid and two other Marines, Corporal Leroy Diamond and Pfc John Rivers, manned a .30-caliber water-cooled machine gun inside a sandbag-and-log emplacement camouflaged with palm fronds and jungle greenery. The position was on the west bank of the Ilu, which was 50 yards wide at that point. Pages: 1 2 3Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
           
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10 Comments to “Marine Sergeant Al Schmid – September ‘96 World War II Feature”
I just watch Pride of the Marines on Turner Classic Movies and became curious to acquire more information about Al Schmid.
Thank you for having such an indepth article about him. I really enjoyed reading it.
By Adrienne Shearer on May 23, 2009 at 5:36 pm
The movie was great Pride of the Marines. I am a formal Marine I severed Jan. 1970 Jan.1972. I sure would like to have met Al.
By Welton Mc/callister on May 23, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Why did Schmid get most of the credit for stopping the Japanese attack? There were two other Marines in the position. The gun commander, Corporal Leroy Diamond and gunner P.F.C. John Rivers suffered/contributed as much or more than Schmid. Also no mention is given to the other two machine gun and 37mm anti-tank gun emplacements and their crews. It was though those crews weren’t in the Battle of the Ilu. Could it have been the Washington spin doctors, needing a real live AMERICAN HERO after the crushing defeats of Pearl Harbor, the Philippines and elsewhere in the Pacific couldn’t use Diamond(too Jewish) or Rivers(Native American and dead). Schmid was perfect. White Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, alive and blind, perfect. They promoted him to Sargent, gave him the Navy Cross and carted him off to sell War Bonds. I wonder what Lee Diamond did for the rest of the War?
By William Rivers Freedman on Jul 1, 2009 at 8:07 pm
To Mr. William R. Freedman:
I’m Jewish; Philadelphian – born and bred (not far from where Al Schmid grew up); my late Father was a WWII veteran; and I think your remarks are out of line – in other words, unkind to say the least! I believe Sgt. Schmid was a real hero – I believe ALL Americans who have done active duty are heroes! To quibble about ethnic group or race is PC nonsense – Al Schmid’s life wasn’t exactly “easy street” despite his deserved honors.
I was born in ‘55 and though I knew several Vietnam veterans (in my age cohort), most young men I knew wouldn’t have dreamed of sacrificing a fingernail for this nation! My Father and my uncles all faced the music as infantrymen in Europe and The Philippines; fortunately they didn’t suffer the devastating wounds that Al Schmid did.
There are many reasons to be discouraged today – the decline of American (and western civ) culture and values are among them. Let’s not rip into a decent man who truly made sacrifices – a real Defender of Freedom. Your surname may not be “Freedman” for nothing, ya know!
By Lisa M. Hawkins on Jul 9, 2009 at 11:41 am
I am a cousin of Coporal Leroy Diamond. He was born in 1917 and will be 92 this month. He lives in Rosedale, Queens in NYC. Hed worked many years as a plumber and was present at the opening of the Marine Museum in Virginia. I have video taped he talking about his war experiences and wish someone making a documentary about WWII would interview him as well as he is not getting any younger.
By Andrew N. Bader on Jul 10, 2009 at 3:01 pm
God bless Sgt Schnid and Cpl
By George Monaghan on Jul 20, 2009 at 9:50 pm
SemperFi ! Cpl Diamond…
By George Monaghan on Jul 20, 2009 at 9:51 pm
To Lisa M. Hawkins
I never besmirched Al Schmid’s courage or the sacrifice of his sight. My frustration was and still is with the Washington Bureaucrats( I called them spin doctors) who didn’t think Americans were ready for their heroes to be anything other than Wasps. Remember, at the time , Japanese Americans were being held in concentration camps, the Armed Forces were still segregated, most Americans thought stories of the Holocaust were propaganda and Native Americans didn’t have full citizenship! My remarks are far from P.C. bullshit they are the facts. All of the men who fought and died that night, in America’s first World War Two victory, should have been given credit for a job well and gallantly done.
I simply wrote the truth of the matter. If one does a cursory study of the Battle of the Ilu/Tenaru River very little mention(if any)can be found of the other participants of the Battle. It will appear as if only one gun emplacement was guarding the tidal lagoon known variously as Alligator Creek(a misnomer, no alligators in the Solomon Islands) the Tenaru River(mismarked on Marine Corp maps) or properly the Ilu River. Finally, after some additional research, I learned Corporal Lee Diamond, after recovering from his wounds, was sent back to his outfit and survived the War. For some futher reading about how Schmid’s Hero status affected his relationship with others; especially Lee Diamond; read “The body and physical differences:discourses of disability” Mitchell&Snyder, 1997.
P.S. P.F.C. John Rivers is my Uncle, my Mother’s Brother. Before the war, He fought as a welterweight under the name Indian Johnny Rivers. Born across the River in New Jersey he grew up in Quakertown, Pa. and made his home in Philly for several years prior to the war.
By William Rivers Freedman on Aug 13, 2009 at 6:31 am
There is a documentary on just about every battle, insurgence, or mission in any war. Declared or not. We see the same information about said battle over and over again. Maybe it is time to examine the Battle of Ilu River. Clp. Diamond’s own cousin states that no one has ever tried to interview him. People have gone to Japan and Germany to interview the other side to get their side of the war.Don’t you think it’s about time to have a conversation with Clp Diamond. Time is running out, he’s 92. He’s on our side. I want to hear what he has to say.
By William Rivers Freedman on Aug 13, 2009 at 6:41 pm
To: Andrew Bader cousin of Leroy Diamond,
Noted historical writer William Bartsch is presently writing a book about the Battle of the Ilu River. He is striving to make the record straight and give credit where credit is due. He and I have been in contact. I have given him copies of letters my Uncle(PFC Rivers) wrote home to his Sister, my Mmom. I would love to talk to you and see the videos you have made. If you are agreeable let me know through this medium.
By William Rivers Freedman on Sep 30, 2009 at 2:15 pm