Gifu Star Memorial

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The Gifu Star memorial is on Wright Road on the turn off to Barana village.

The memorial says:

THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF ORGANIZED JAPANESE FORCES
10 JANUARY to 9 FEBRUARY 1943

On 10 January 1943, the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, was assigned the mission of destroying the Gifu strongpoint, a thorn in the American offensive to rid Guadalcanal of all Japanese.

On the 17 Jan, after an intense 1700 round artillery barrage on the Gifu, an infantry frontal assault failed to penetrate the massive position, but weakened the Japanese effectiveness. Daily attacks further lessened the enemy's grip.On 22 January 193 an army driven marine light tank supported by an infantry platoon attacked from the northeast, the enemy's strongest portion of their defense, destroying eight pillboxes in rapid succession, and breaking the back of the entire Gifu strongpoint.

Early morning of 23 January the enemy made a futile "banzai" breakout attempt against Company F, losing 85 men killed and giving up four prisoners. The dead including 25 officers, one of whom was the designated Gifu commander.

Forming a skirmish line after daybreak, the 2nd Battalion completely cleared the Gifu strongpoint of the remaining opposition, thus rendering the final reduction of the last vestige of the determined and sacrificial Japanese hold on Guadalcanal.

The army infantrymen of the 25th Infantry Division were able to sweep across sea and galloping horse positions to the coast west of Matanikau River. the 161st Infantry Regiment reinforced with the 182nd infantry advanced westward. This pincer moved along the coast toward Cape Esperance. The 2nd Battalion, 132nd Infantry Regiment reinforced, landed at Verahue to attack north along the coast toward Cape Esperance.

1991 GUADALCANAL-SOLOMON ISLANDS WAR MEMORIAL FOUNDATION U.S.A.