RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced an order for all United States and Virginia State Flags to be flown at half-staff on September 28, 2024 in honor of a WWII veteran who, after 82 years, is finally coming home.
According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency:
Private First Morris Everett Canady entered the U.S. Marine Corps from the District of Columbia and served in Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
On August 7, 1942, Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, initiating a months-long struggle with Japanese forces for control of the island.
U.S. Marines established a perimeter around Henderson Field, the key strategic objective of the campaign. On September 18, 1942, the 7th Marine Regiment arrived on Guadalcanal and was ordered to conduct patrols southwest toward Mount Austen.
On September 24, the Marines encountered and defeated a small enemy force, but the sound of gunfire alerted other Japanese troops in the area, and a large firefight ensued. The next day, the Marines buried ten fallen comrades, five each at locations known as Hill X and Hill Y. Searches conducted after the war failed to locate these two grave sites.