Earl O. Carlson

Earl Oscar Carlson was the son of Henry C. Carlson and Emma C. Fox. He was born and raised in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, and received his grammar school education there. Swedish was spoken in his home growing up and he mastered his native tongue as well as English. He graduated high school as well as graduating a North Dakota Agricultural College.

Nicknamed "Swede" or "Old Swede", he served in the North Dakota National Guard from 7/11/1914 to 7/14/1917 when his guard unit was "federalized" and he was sent to the 116th US Infantry, 1st Division US Army during World War I and saw plenty of combat action. During the course of this service, he was severely wounded in the head and while unconscious, he was tagged to be med-evacted to the rear for medical attention. The story goes that when Swede woke up, he was lying in an area with men who had died in the battle. He staggered to his feet and to the surprise of the Army medics in the area, took one of their canteens of spirits (in World War I medics were allowed to carry a canteen containing alcohol such as cognac) and drank from it heartily. He procured another canteen of the drink then headed back to the front to rejoin his unit, still with his wound tag flopping on his chest. It was that day that Old Swede developed a love for strong drink and it was a romance that spanned the next 20 years.

After World War I, Swede discharged from the Army and returned home. After a few years he joined the United States Marine Corps and, like so many young men did back in the 1920's, fell in love with the exotic life of being a Marine stationed and fighting in exotic locations around the world - especially the Orient. Swede had been an excellent soldier and became and even better Marine. He progressed up in rank and was promoted into a First Sergeant's position in the 1930's.

Swede's ability to hold large volumes of liquor was amazing if not inspiring to his comrades and his friends as well as the younger Marines who greatly enjoyed sitting at a cafe or bar listening to Swede's great stories of things he had seen or places he had been. They all marveled at his ability to drink so heavily but not loose his bearings. And his vast consumption did not seem to interfere with his work the next day. If his superiors new of his issue, it was pretty much ignored as he was a good First Sergeant who handled his men well. But the disease of the drink probably did keep him from ever being promoted to Sergeant Major, and therefore he was left in a terminal rank.

Old Swede reenlisted in the Marine's for the last time on 7/29/1938 in the Norfolk, Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia. He soon returned to Shanghai, China, with the Headquarters Company, Second Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in the late 1930's. By 1939, it was becoming obvious that the 4th Marines would have to soon leave China due to the large Japanese military presence in China and the expected war with that nation on the horizon. In late November, 1941, the 4th Marine Regiment marched out of the Marine Barracks at Shanghai and sailed for the Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines. A week later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and the next day, began their assault on the Philippine Islands. The American and Philippine military forces fought bravely and caused the Japanese to expend a great deal of manpower and equipment to beat them. But, largely due to receiving no support from outside of the Philippines, the Allied forces lost Manila, Bataan and Cavite. After their evacuation from Olongapo in Zambales, close to the Subic Bay Naval Base on December 26, the 4th Marine Regiment, under the command of Col. Samuel L. Howard, became the primary fighting unit on the island. Corregidor's garrison received the largest group of reinforcements right after the fall of Bataan, with some 72 officers and 1,173 enlisted men from more than fifty different units were integrated and assigned to the 4th Marine Regiment. Few of the reinforcements were trained or equipped for ground combat. By April 30, 1942, the 4th Marines had four battalions and actually numbered 229 officers and 3,770 men, of whom only 1,500 were Marines. One of those Marines was the Old Swede, Earl Carlson.

From December 29, 1941, to the end of April 1942, despite incessant Japanese aerial, naval and artillery bombardment, the garrison on Corregidor, consisting mainly of the 4th Marine Regiment resisted valiantly, inflicting heavy enemy losses in men, equipment and planes as well as being a major embarrassment to the Japanese high command. On May 5, Japanese forces led by Maj. Gen. Kureo Taniguchi boarded landing craft and barges and headed for the final assault on Corregidor. A battalion of Japanese soldiers landed east of North Point where the defensive positions of the 4th Marines were stronger. Most of the Japanese officers were killed early in the landing, and the huddled survivors were hit with hand grenades, machine guns, and rifle fire. Some of the landing craft did however make it to the location of another battalion invasion force and captured one of the US artillery batteries (Denver Battery)by 0130 on May 6th. A counterattack was initiated to move the Japanese off of Denver Battery. This was the location of the heaviest fighting between the opposing forces, practically face to face. A few reinforcements did make their way to the front-line 4th Marines, but the battle became a duel of obsolete World War I rifles and grenades versus the accurate Japanese knee mortars. Without additional reinforcements, the battle would quickly go against the defenders. By 0430, Colonel Howard committed his last reserves, some 500 Marines, sailors and soldiers of the 4th Battalion. These reserves tried to get to the battle as quickly as possible, but several Japanese snipers had slipped behind the front lines to make movement very costly. An additional 880 reinforcements for the Japanese arrived at 0530. The 4th Marines were holding their positions at the same time losing ground in other areas. The Japanese resupplies of ammunition did not occur and several attacks and counterattacks were fought hand-to-hand and with bayonets.

At approximately 0930 hours, three Japanese tanks successfully landed on Corregidor and immediately went into action. Denver Battery was abandoned and the defenders fell back to the ruins of a concrete trench a few yards away from the entrance to Malinta tunnel where General Johnathan Wainwright, Commander of the Northern forces of Luzon, was making a fateful decision to surrender, just as Japanese artillery delivered a heavy barrage. He knew that he only had a few hours, or possibly a day, before all would be lost and the Japanese would breach the tunnel where about 1,000 helpless wounded men lay being cared for by a group of United States Army nurses. General Wainwright chose to save American lives by surrendering his forces and they became "Guests of the Emperor" - prisoners of war(POW).

First Sergeant Joseph Pearlstein (Find A Grave Memorial# 106756038) was also in the Headquarters Company of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, and Swede sort of adopted Joe when they were captured after the Allied surrender of Corregidor. Joe was smaller framed and more frail in stature than the big Swedish Carlson and maybe Swede thought Joe needed him. They were an unlikely pair as Swede was loud, gregarious, a heavy drinker and believed to not have been religious, whereas Joe was quiet, studious and not an out-going person. Plus, Joe was very devout to his Jewish faith. This devoutness to his orthodox Jewish upbringing also suited his fellow Marines well, especially during times of limited food as Joe would not eat anything that contained pork or any animal without a backbone or that had scales. Sergeant Major Charles R. Jackson thought it might have been their individual loneliness that brought them together and drew strength from each other.

At the prison camp at Cabanatuan, Philippines, lack of food and rampant disease took a toll on the POW's. Amoebic and bacillic dysentery, Beriberi, gangrene, malaria and other diseases were some of the maladies the POW's suffered from and they were rampant throughout the camp. Malnutrition effected nearly everyone. Sergeant Major Charles R. Jackson wrote in his memoir, "I Am Alive", that at one point in 1942, the POW's were given a small pig for the POW's to cook and eat. First Sergeant Joe Pearlstein was offered a great deal of Philippine pesos for his portion since he would not eat pork. But he gave it away instead of making money from it - money that could have helped him survive. It was shortly after that, that Joe's health began to deteriorate. Sergeant Major Jackson stated, "(Joe's) ribs showed. His big, dull eyes stared out from hollow sockets. He grew morose and kept to himself. He would barely speak, even to the 'Old Swede', First Sergeant Earl O. Jackson, his best friend."

Joe was a dying man by October, 1942. He suffered from bouts of dysentery and ulcers had erupted on his body emitting a gangrenous odor. But the Japanese wanted workers to go to Manchuria and Japan and Joe was placed on the list to go. Old Swede raised Cain over the decision to send Joe but it was final; Joe was going. So the Old Swede did what he had to do and demanded that his name be included on the list to go, and it was. Swede was still in remarkably good health when he departed Cabanatuan while Joe was basically a dead man walking. Together they were sent to Camp Osaka located on the outskirts of Kobe, Japan.

First Sergeant Carlson died on January 28, 1943. His health had quickly declined after leaving Cabanatuan. It is believed he died of a cardiac related incident due to his suffering from various diseases including beriberi, dysentery and malnutrition. A fellow prisoner, PFC. Frank P. Phillips, USMC, reported that Swede died of "Diarrhea - cold - everything - no food - always shivering". Three months later, Joe died at the Osaka Prison Camp, Japan. He was 47.

Old Swede's remains were cremated and placed in a wooden box. After the war his mother was contacted and asked what she wished for the disposition of his cremains. It is believed she actually took possession of the Swede's cremains for a period of time but later made the decision that his ashes were to be interred at a United States Military cemetery overseas. His cremains were then sent to the cemetery at Fort McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands, for a military burial (Plot D, Row2, Grave 274). At the time of the Swede's death, his mother, Mrs. Emma C. Fox, was living at 910 Virginia St., El Segundo, California.

For his 23 years of military duty, First Sergeant Earl Oscar Carlson, Sn# 176406, earned the following verified badges/decorations for his service in the United States Army and Marine Corps and during two World Wars (not in order of precedence or all inclusive):
- Purple Heart Medal with Gold Star for second award
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal 3rd Award, Sn#77740
- Prisoner of War Medal
- China Service Medal
- Second Nicaragua Campaign Medal, Sn#4149
- Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
- WWI Army of Occupation Medal
- American Defense Medal with Base Clasp
- Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations Campaign Medal with one bronze battle/campaign star
- World War I Victory Medal with campaign bars, Sn#570342
- World War II Victory Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Philippine Defense Medal with bronze campaign star
- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
- Marine Corps Marksmanship Badge
- Marine Corps Basic Qualification Badge with bars