Carlson, Evans Fordyce, born on 26-02-1896, in Sidney, New York,
the son of a Congregationalist minister. He ran away from his home in Vermont in 1910 and two years later disguised his age to enter the United States Army. His long and colorful military career begin in 1912, when at the age of 16 he left high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army. When he finished his four-year enlistment he was a “top sergeant.” He had served in the Philippines and in Hawaii. He stayed out of uniform less than one year and returned.

During World War I he saw action in France, and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in May, 1917, and made Captain of field artillery in December 1917. He served in Germany with the Army of Occupation. in time for the Mexican punitive expedition. His long and colorful military career begin in 1912, when at the age of 16 he left high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army. When he finished his four-year enlistment he was a “top sergeant.” He had served in the Philippines and in Hawaii. He stayed out of uniform less than one year and returned in time for the Mexican punitive expedition.During World War I he saw action in France, and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in May, 1917, and made Captain of field artillery in December 1917. He served in Germany with the Army of Occupation.
He became the famed U.S. Marine Corps
leader of the World War II “Carlson’s Raiders”. He is renowned for the “Makin Island raid” on 17-08-1942 and their “Long Patrol” from 04-11-1942 to 04-12-1942 behind Japanese lines on Guadalcanal, in which 488 Japanese were killed, 16 Raiders were killed and 18 wounded, during the Guadalcanal campaign. Carlson is also credited with first coining the term “Gung-ho” as it is most popularly used today. This unofficial “Gung-ho” motto of the US Marine Corps is an abbreviation for the Mandarin Gongye Hezhoushe, or industrial cooperative. The term was used in China, starting in 1938, to refer to small, industrial operations that were being established in rural China to replace the industrial centers that had been captured by the Japanese. The phrase was clipped to the initial characters of the two words, gung ho (or gung he, as it would be transliterated today), which means “work together.” This clipping became a slogan for the industrial cooperative movement. During World War I Carlson saw action in France, like Merrit Austin “Red Mike” Edson and was awarded the Purple Heart
for wounds received in action.











Carlson had one son Evans Charles Carlson, born 01-10-1917 in Douglas, Cochise County, Evans Charles Carlson served in same unit as father as a Colonel and received Silver Star whilst serving with Marine Raider Battalion on Guadacanal. Also the Second Silver Star received during Korean War. Also received Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion Of Merit and 2 Distinguished Air Medals. Charles Jr died 02-04-2005, old age 87.
and buried at Beaufort National Cemetery Beaufort, Beaufort County, South Carolina, Section 40 – Siet 191

Death and burial ground of Carlson, Evans Fordyce.








