Guadalcanal Scout and Hero

A few days after the U.S. Marine Corps had established a toehold on the island of Guadalcanal, a
trio of natives appeared at the mouth of the Tenaru River. One of the individuals spoke English,
and he offered their services to the Marines as scouts. A tall, muscular man, he explained he had
retired from the native constabulary as a sergeant major but had fled his home when the Japanese
had invaded his beloved Solomon Islands. Realizing his value, a group of Marines quickly
escorted him to the command post to be briefed. He shook the hand of division intelligence
officer Lt. Col. Edmund J. Buckley and introduced himself, saying, “I am Sergeant Major Jacob
Vouza.” He had already retired at that rank after 25 years in the constabulary.
Having been recruited and trained by the British in law enforcement, Vouza and other natives
proved a tremendous asset to the Marines during the Guadalcanal campaign. Together with men
such as Captain Martin Clemens, a coast watcher (part of an Australian group who spied on the
Japanese) and former official in the civil government, this group of men provided the Marines
with information on enemy troop movements while serving as guides through Guadalcanal’s
often tricky terrain and as laborers. Vouza’s experience as a scout had been established when the
1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal. On August 7, 1942, he rescued a downed naval pilot
from the USS Wasp who was shot down inside Japanese territory. He guided the pilot to friendly
lines where Vouza met the Marines for the first time.
Jacob Vouza became a favorite of the Marines, especially the Raiders. On a scouting mission
near the village of Volonavua, Vouza was captured by a Japanese patrol on August 27. He had in
his loincloth a small American flag, a gift from a Marine, which marked him as a scout for the
Americans. The enemy soldiers bound him to a tree by straw ropes and delighted in clubbing
him with their rifle butts. They tortured and bayoneted him about the arms, throat, shoulder, face,
and stomach. Still refusing to talk, he passed out from loss of blood.
Leaving him for dead, the Japanese departed. But Vouza awoke and gnawed his way through the
ropes. Although weakened and near death, Vouza crawled for nearly four miles back to friendly
lines. Discovered by Martin Clemens, who could “barely look at him” because of his wounds, he
was taken to an aid station. Before being treated, he informed Clemens of the size and location of
the Japanese forces approaching the Marine perimeter.
After spending 12 days in the hospital, Vouza returned to duty as the chief scout for the Marines.
He accompanied Lt. Col. Evans. F. Carlson and the 2d Marine Raider Battalion when they made
their 30-day raid behind enemy lines at Guadalcanal.
He made many friends during his long association with the Marines and many of them visited
him on Guadalcanal over the years. In 1968, Vouza visited the United States, where he was the
honored guest of the 1st Marine Division Association.
Sergeant Major Vouza was highly decorated for his World War II service. Major General
Alexander A. Vandegrift, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, personally presented
him with the Silver Star for refusing to give information under Japanese torture. He also received
the Legion of Merit for outstanding service with the 2d Raider Battalion in November and

December 1942, and the British George Medal for gallant conduct and exceptional devotion to
duty. He later received the Police Long Service Medal and, in 1957, was made a Member of the
British Empire for long and faithful government service. In 1979, he was knighted by Queen
Elizabeth II. In addition, a scholarship fund was set up in his name to assist underprivileged
Solomon Island children in attaining a better education.
After the war, Vouza continued to serve his fellow islanders. In 1949, he was appointed district
headman and president of the Guadalcanal Council, from 1952 to 1958. He also served as a
member of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Advisory Council from 1950 to 1960.
Revisiting Guadalcanal years after the war, the Marine Raider Association placed a bronze
plaque on a granite block, which read, “We dedicate to SERGEANT MAJOR JACOB VOUZA
and his SOLOMON ISLAND SCOUTS for supreme intrepidity and valour in the face of the
enemy during the struggle for Guadalcanal 1942-43.” Vouza passed away in 1984. The stone
block with the bronze tablet became his headstone.