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MAJ Mark E Cooper
to remember
Mobley, Clarence Joseph, CSM.
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Contact Info
Last Address Hope Mills, NC
Date of Passing Mar 29, 2009
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CSM Clarence Joseph Mobley
FAYETTEVILLE - Retired Army Special Forces Command Sgt. Maj. Clarence Joseph Mobley, 84, of 315 Kirkwood Drive, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 29, 2009, in UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Clarence Joseph Mobley served faithfully and loyally in the service of his country for 34 years. During his career, he served and was a member of 1st Marine Raiders Battalion, and was one of the first 100 Special Forces master parachutists to have over 2,000 jumps to his credit. He also received 22 Air Combat medals to his achievements. Clarence served in World War II, Korea and the Vietnam War. He was also a well-known and liked Ranger instructor. During his service career, he was awarded seven Purple Hearts, the Silver Star with the Marines and Bronze Star with V for valor. After his distinguished military career, he was employed by the City of Fayetteville as a building inspector for 29 years before his retirement. Clarence was also a U.S. Marshal. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Mobley of Hope Mills; two sons, Thomas Winfred Mobley of Metairie, La., and Glenn Lee Mobley of Hope Mills; a daughter, Linda Gail Atkinson of Raeford; two sisters, Daisy Finnangan and Barbara Love of Sea Breeze, Fla.; a brother, Frank Mobley of Panama City, Fla.; five grandchildren, Thomas, Tammy, William, Ashley and Kimberly; and three great-randchildren, Scotty, Briggs and Trent. The Mobley family will receive friends from 6 to 8 tonight, April 2, 2009, at Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, 500 Ramsey St., Fayetteville. A celebration of the life of retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Clarence Joseph Mobley will be conducted at 1p.m., Friday, April 3, 2009, in Rogers and Breece Funeral Home chapel, with the Rev. Gary Strickland officiating. Following the rendering of full military honors, he will be laid to rest at Cumberland Memorial Gardens. The Mobley family has entrusted services to Rogers and Breece Funeral Home of Fayetteville.
Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-43)/Battle of Edson's Ridge
From Month/Year
September / 1942
To Month/Year
September / 1942
Description The Battle of Edson's Ridge, also known as the Battle of the Bloody Ridge, Battle of Raiders Ridge, and Battle of the Ridge, was a land battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Imperial Japanese Army and Allied (mainly United States Marine Corps) ground forces. It took place from 12–14 September 1942, on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, and was the second of three separate major Japanese ground offensives during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
In the battle, U.S. Marines, under the overall command of U.S. Major General Alexander Vandegrift, repulsed an attack by the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade, under the command of Japanese Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi. The Marines were defending the Lunga perimeter that guarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, which was captured from the Japanese by the Allies in landings on Guadalcanal on 7 August 1942. Kawaguchi's unit was sent to Guadalcanal in response to the Allied landings with the mission of recapturing the airfield and driving the Allied forces from the island.
Underestimating the strength of Allied forces on Guadalcanal–about 12,000–Kawaguchi's 6,000 soldiers conducted several nighttime frontal assaults on the U.S. defenses. The main Japanese assault occurred around Lunga ridge south of Henderson Field, manned by troops from several U.S. Marine Corps units, primarily troops from the 1st Raider and 1st Parachute Battalions under U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson. Although the Marine defenses were almost overrun, Kawaguchi's attack was ultimately defeated, with heavy losses for the Japanese.
Because of the key participation by Edson's unit in defending the ridge, the ridge was commonly referred to as "Edson's" ridge in historical accounts of the battle in Western sources.[4] After Edson's Ridge, the Japanese continued to send troops to Guadalcanal for further attempts to retake Henderson Field, affecting Japanese offensive operations in other areas of the South Pacific.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
September / 1942
To Month/Year
September / 1942
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember HEADQUARTERS, FIRST MARINE DIVISION FLEET MARINE FORCE C/O POSTMASTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. 19 September, 1942. DIVISION BULLETIN NUMBER 40a-42
Commendation of Raider Battalion, Parachute Battalion, and Eleventh Marines for action against the enemy of 13-14 September. 1942.
1. The Commanding General desires to commend the outstanding efforts of the Raider Battalion. the Parachute Battalion, and tne Eleventh Marines during the enemy attack on the First Division positions on Guadalcanal Island on the night of September 13-14, 1942.
2. On that night the Raider Battalion with the First Parachute Battalion attached, having been assiged the mission of occupying and defending a key position a1ong a ridge located about one thousand (1000) yards south of the Guadalcanal air field, had scarcely moved into the position when the enemy launched an attack on it and broke through the front lines. The situation of forward units havIng become untenable, a skillful withdrawal to the reserve position was effected.
3. During the period from 1930 on the 13th to 0000 on the 14th the enemy launched a series of ferocious assaults on the reserve position. each culminating in fierce hand to hand combat in vhich both attacker and defender employed bayonets, rifles, pistol., grenades and knives. The Parachute Battalion, hastily reorganized into two companies after its withdrawal from the main line of resistance, counter-attacked the enemy advancing on the left of the reserve position to extend that position to the left and to straighten the line then being held by the Battalion Reserve. This counter-attack was carried out successfully in that the enemy was forced to vithdraw into the edge of the woods fronting the reserve position, this flanking movement which had threatened the whole position having been halted. During this courageous attack the Parachute Troops suffered casualties estimated at 40%.
4. Throughout the night the Eleventh Marines supported the Raiders and Parachutists by nine hours of almost constant artillery fire of the greatest accuracy and effectiveness, and greatly assisted them in standing off the attacks of the enemy. The morning of the 14th found the enemy, retreating and the reinforced Raider Battalion in complete control of the field of battle.
5. Almost without exception the officers and men engaged in this action proved themselves to be among, the best fighting troops that any service could hope to have, and in extending to tnem the salutation of the officers and men of the Division the Commanding General vishes to state that he considers i t a privilege and an honor to have had troops of this caliber attached to his command.
