.
As men became available on Corregidor from January until after the
fall of Bataan, they were integrated into the 4th Marines to support
beach defense. In February, 58 sailors formerly of the USS
Canopus were organized as a reserve company Lieutenant Clarence
Van Ray with Platoon Sergeant Leslie D. Sawyer and Sergeant Ray K.
Cohen trained and equipped the sailors into an efficient fighting
force. Ten Marines and 40 more sailors were added to the company
after the fall of Bataan.
The largest group of
reinforcements arrived after the fall of Bataan. In the days
following 9 April, 72 officers and 1,173 enlisted men from more than
50 different organizations were assigned to the 4th Marines, making
the Marine regiment one of the most unusual units in Marine Corps
history. These reinforcements included members of the Navy, the
Army, the Philippine Army and Philippine Scouts. Sailors stranded on
land after the loss of their ships found themselves alongside
engineers, tankers, and aviators whose units were captured on
Bataan. Filipino Scouts were assigned with members of the islands'
Constabulary to the 4th Marines. Unfortunately, very few of the
reinforcements were trained or equipped for ground combat. By 29
April, the 4th Marines numbered 229 officers and 3,770 men, of whom
only about 1,500 were Marines. |