S/Sgt Edward GULSVICK

EDWARD GULSVICK
_________________

Edward GULSVICK

S/Sgt "E" Company

KIA, Landing Zone A, Corregidor

Friday 16 February 1945

As the second lift drops continued, a squad of Japanese Imperial Marines assembled along the western edge of the parade ground DZ where they began shooting at the airplanes and the descending paratroopers. As each Japanese emptied his rifle he would run under a paratrooper who was preparing to land and spear him on his bayonet.

Into this melee fell Sergeant Edward Gulsvick, already bleeding from two bullet holes in his right leg. Gulsvick landed with an empty submachinegun in his hands. Despite his painful wounds he quickly bounced upright and slapped a fresh twenty-round magazine of .45-caliber slugs into his weapon. Then, with his billowing parachute nearly pulling him over, he loosed a blast of fire that killed the entire enemy squad. That accomplished, Gulsvick climbed out of his harness and began administering first aid to a paratrooper who had just been bayoneted but was still alive. While doing so, Gulsvick was shot and killed by a sniper.

Gerard M. Devlin

Back to Corregidor

St Martin's Press, New York (1992)
(out of print)

Edward Gulsvick was one of four members of the mortar platoon who were killed by Japanese troops when their stick dropped into Cheney Ravine, short of Landing Zone A.

The others were Pfc. Emery High, Pfc Matthew Musolino and Pfc Jimmy Rovolis.

Of the American dead and wounded , eleven were from the 60mm platoon of Company “E”, including the platoon sergeant S/Sgt Edward Gulsvick. Accounts given by the wounded at a later date, resulted in a posthumous award of the DSC to S/Sgt Gulsvick. These men stated that Gulsvick had been severely wounded during his decent to the ground. The Japs started attacking the men landing in that area when the jump started at 1244, attempting to spear the jumpers on their bayonets as the men landed. Gulsvick had saved the lives of several men when he single handedly killed fourteen Japs with his TSMG. Gulsvick was finally killed by simultaneous bursts from the machine guns at points 3 and 4. He was attempting to drag a man to the safety of the building at point 1, Map A (This was one of the uncountable acts of courage and heroism that occurred in the Corregidor Operation. It serves also as a background for the fighting to follow)

Lt. Hudson Hill