On June 28, 1943, Companies O and P of the 4th Marine Raider Battalion left Regi on the Western shore of New Georgia island headed for Viru Harbor. The goal was to secure Viru so that the Army could land two infantry companies in the Harbor. From there, they would travel further to capture Munda Point where the Japanese had an airstrip.
The Marine Raiders were a specialized unit that underwent an arduous training and selection process. They were required to undergo physical and mental tests prior to selection and once selected, the training continued including instruction in hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship and amphibious operations. Regular infantry men received training to ground assaults while the Raiders were trained for land, sea, and air operations. They were the Marine Corps’ first elite band of soldiers.
The 4th Bn had already spent seven days in the sweltering jungles of the Solomon Islands. Company O took the lead and Company P brought up the rear. They marched single file on narrow trails dodging Japanese patrols and gunfire. They spent a rainy night in the jungle before crossing the Choi River. As they crossed, the Japanese opened fire. It took three hours, but the battalion successfully engaged the enemy. However, it cost the lives of five Marines.
One of those five Marines was Pvt. George Abijah Rossiter. George was born September 6, 1921, and died aged 21 years. His obituary ran in the Tulare Advance-Register on Wednesday, January 26, 1949. He was survived by his parents, who are buried next to him at Deep Creek. One of his sisters is buried in the Exeter Cemetery.
Pvt. Rossiter died on June 29, 1943. However, he was not brought home to Farmersville until 1949. As was the practice at the time, bodies were buried where they died. It was not until after the war that remains were collected and returned to their homes. Many are still buried in makeshift graves overseas.