--- title: "This policeman survived bayonet wounds and torture to save the Marines at Guadalcanal" description: "Jacob Vouza was already a hero when the Marines landed at Guadalcanal. What he did next made him even more of a legend than he already was." date: "2022-04-27" modified: "2023-04-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/policeman-saved-marines-at-guadalcanal/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" --- # This policeman survived bayonet wounds and torture to save the Marines at Guadalcanal ![guadalcanal]() Jacob Vouza was already a hero when the [Marines]() landed at Guadalcanal. When a pilot from the USS Wasp was shot down over his island, Vouza led that aviator to safety. That's where he first met the Marines. Vouza spent his life as part of his native island's police force. When the Japanese invaded the British-controlled island in 1942, the lifelong policeman was [already a year into retirement](). He joined the Coastwatchers, an allied intelligence gathering outfit on remote islands run by ANZAC officers and fielded by local islanders. ![vouza and tuck on guadalcanal]() *Vouza and British Col. George Tuck on Guadalcanal.* The policeman met the Marines later in 1942, accepting an American flag as a gift from one of the men. With the rank of Sgt. Major of his outfit and his lifelong experience in the island's constabulary, he had valuable services in American invaders – [and he did](). That's what nearly cost him his life. Vouza was captured by the Japanese defenders who found the U.S. flag he'd been given. The Japanese tortured Vouza for hours for information on the American positions, but the policeman gave up nothing. The Japanese clubbed him with their rifle butts, then bayoneted him in the throat, chest, arms, and stomach, then left him for dead. Vouza passed out from blood loss. But he woke up, chewed through the ropes that held him, and weakly escaped the scene. He crawled on all fours to get back to the Marines and [warn them that the Japanese were coming](). Vouza crawled for three miles. When he finally arrived, he was able to describe the enemy's numbers, weapons, and vehicles. The Marines took the information and got Vouza to a surgeon. After 12 days of surgery and blood transfusions, Jacob Vouza was back on duty. The old islander was the Marines' chief scout on Lt. Col. Evan Carlson's 30-day raid behind enemy lines. ![jacob vouza guadalcanal]() *Jacob Vouza dressed and ready to raid.* He received the British George Medal for gallantry and devotion, the American Silver Star, the American Legion of Merit for his actions with the 2nd Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal, made a Member of the British Empire in 1957, and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1979. In 1962, Vouza sent a message to [the First Marine Division Association]() that read, "Tell them I love them all. Me old man now, and me no look good no more. But me never forget." ![sir jacob vouza memorial for guadalcanal actions]() *Sir Jacob Vouza memorial at Rove, Honiara Solomon Islands.* Sergeant Major Sir Jacob Vouza died in 1984. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()