Master Sergeant Charles A Noland
Charles Aubrey Noland was born on May 6th, 1895 in South Carolina to Thomas Noland and Ida Willard. He was their seventh child out of an eventual eleven. Charles attended grammar school and high school in Union Country, but did not complete the latter. Instead, he enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard on June 16th, 1916, likely spurred by the Mexican guerrilla leader Pancho Villa’s attack on New Mexico in March. One month later, his regiment was federalized and headed to the border to protect from further excursions. The South Carolina units did not take part in the Mexican Expedition and thankfully were not involved with any fighting by the time they returned and reverted back to National Guard status. Noland decided to stick with the army, which turned out to be a potentially dangerous venture. On April 4th, 1917, the United States formally entered the Great War raging overseas, and his national guard outfit was federalized again eleven days later. Fortunately for Noland, he was retained in the United States for the duration of the war and trained as an ordnance specialist with the 141st Ordnance Company. By the time the war ended and he was discharged on June 10th, 1919, Charles had reached the rank of Sergeant.
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Returning home to South Carolina, he studied algebra, typing, and bookkeeping. The latter allowed him to be employed for a year before military life called once again. On April 8th, 1924, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and his prior service allowed him to breeze through boot camp at Parris Island in just a month. His skills with bookkeeping and typing landed him a clerk job at the base post exchange for the next year. Upon his promotion to Corporal on June 1st, 1925, his job changed to assistant steward and salesman which he excelled at until his first discharge on April 4th, 1927. Corporal Noland decided that a recruiting job was better and reenlisted the following day with the 8th Reserve Regiment, New Orleans and was sent to Houston Texas’ Southern Recruiting Division. Two months later he gained a promotion to Sergeant.
Following a year and three months in this capacity, Noland left recruiting, reverted back to the rank of Private and joined the Marine Barracks, Naval Station, New Orleans on May 1st, 1928. He would be involved with a few temporary jobs throughout the next few years such as a prison guard, guarding a deserter, and escorting the remains of PFC Maurice R Fauling for burial. On April 20th, 1931, Corporal Noland’s second enlistment expired, and he was assigned to Class III, Fleet Marine Corps Reserve and sent back to the 8th Reserve Regiment until his reenlistment in the active Marine Corps on April 19th, 1932 as a Private First Class. Noland was about to experience his first overseas assignment of his career.
On July 20th, he boarded the USS Kittery and sailed the same date for Port Au Prince, Haiti. Marines had been stationed here since the Banana Wars in 1915, but remained well after the conflict had ended as an occupying force. Noland arrived on the 27th and joined 64th Company, 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade which later was redesignated as Company A, 2nd Marine Regiment. It was only until after the start of 1933 did PFC Noland finally get accepted as a clerk in the Brigade Commissary Office and transferred to Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade in March. Now in a more comfortable position, Noland carried out his duties for HQ until leaving Port au Prince, Haiti aboard the USS Bridge on August 15th, 1934.
Outbreak of War
Upon arriving in Virginia, Noland joined the Service Detachment, Post Service Battalion, Quantico as a commissary where he remained until 1940, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant on February 24th and to the role of bookkeeper and quartermaster. He also met and married Eva Hummel in 1937. Additionally, he reenlisted on April 19th, was awarded his third Good Conduct Medal, and briefly served with the Marine Reserves as Assistant Inspector Instructor until November 7th. Noland’s promotion to Supply Sergeant came through before he left on the USS George F Elliott and sailed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in January of 1941. He was allocated to Headquarters and Service Battery, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division in charge of the battalion’s quartermaster office, but the 11th Marines were already near the end of their deployment, and Noland returned to the US by April 18th. With tensions rising due to World War Two abroad, the 1st Marine Division began amphibious training exercises throughout July and August aboard the USS Neville, where Noland transferred to the 2nd Battalion’s Headquarters. It was here that he learned of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 and the US declaration of war on the Axis powers. Noland was going to war for the second time.
Off to the Pacific
On March 21st, 1942, Noland transferred to Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Brigade and was promptly promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant the following month and left the US aboard the USS McCawley. His unit arrived at Apia, Western Samoa on May 10th and began rigorous jungle training in anticipation for the island hopping campaign against the Japanese. Due to Noland’s age and occupation, he worked at the Brigade Quartermaster Office and had temporary duty with Detachment 1 of the brigade. Company C and B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines joined his detachment in January of 1943, and he worked with them as a Quartermaster Representative to make sure they got needed supplies for their training. On November 3rd, he officially joined Headquarters and Service Company, 22nd Marines as the NCO in charge of their service and supply platoon before arriving in Hawaii for amphibious warfare training.
Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Invasion of Guam
Noland remained in Hawaii as part of the rear echelon as the regiment captured Eniwetok Atoll in February, and Kwajalein and Roi Namur between April and May 1944. Noland helped ensure that the regiment stayed supplied and had all the necessary equipment for their assault, rejoining the unit at Guadalcanal on March 15th as they rested. His enlistment expired on April 19th, and he extended it for an additional two years to remain with his unit. The 22nd Marines joined the new 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in preparation for the recapture of Guam, and resumed their training schedule on the island. The Marines suited up and left the island in July, but Noland once again remained behind in a supply capacity as the 22nd Marines landed on Orote Peninsula and battled across Guam through heavy casualties. Noland was noted as being “very conscientious and extremely accurate in all work performed during the preparations for both battles. Once his unit returned to Guadalcanal in September, he only had a month to bid goodbye before returning to the United States by November.
After a well needed furlough, Noland joined Barracks Detachment, Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas where he remained until the end of the war. He briefly returned to his old reserve unit in New Orleans before officially retiring on December 21st, 1945 with the rank of Master Sergeant. Charles’ wife Eva tragically passed away in 1949 due to heart problems, and he never remarried. Instead, he worked on his farm until passing away on January 6th, 1957.
Following a year and three months in this capacity, Noland left recruiting, reverted back to the rank of Private and joined the Marine Barracks, Naval Station, New Orleans on May 1st, 1928. He would be involved with a few temporary jobs throughout the next few years such as a prison guard, guarding a deserter, and escorting the remains of PFC Maurice R Fauling for burial. On April 20th, 1931, Corporal Noland’s second enlistment expired, and he was assigned to Class III, Fleet Marine Corps Reserve and sent back to the 8th Reserve Regiment until his reenlistment in the active Marine Corps on April 19th, 1932 as a Private First Class. Noland was about to experience his first overseas assignment of his career.
On July 20th, he boarded the USS Kittery and sailed the same date for Port Au Prince, Haiti. Marines had been stationed here since the Banana Wars in 1915, but remained well after the conflict had ended as an occupying force. Noland arrived on the 27th and joined 64th Company, 2nd Regiment, 1st Brigade which later was redesignated as Company A, 2nd Marine Regiment. It was only until after the start of 1933 did PFC Noland finally get accepted as a clerk in the Brigade Commissary Office and transferred to Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade in March. Now in a more comfortable position, Noland carried out his duties for HQ until leaving Port au Prince, Haiti aboard the USS Bridge on August 15th, 1934.
Outbreak of War
Upon arriving in Virginia, Noland joined the Service Detachment, Post Service Battalion, Quantico as a commissary where he remained until 1940, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant on February 24th and to the role of bookkeeper and quartermaster. He also met and married Eva Hummel in 1937. Additionally, he reenlisted on April 19th, was awarded his third Good Conduct Medal, and briefly served with the Marine Reserves as Assistant Inspector Instructor until November 7th. Noland’s promotion to Supply Sergeant came through before he left on the USS George F Elliott and sailed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in January of 1941. He was allocated to Headquarters and Service Battery, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division in charge of the battalion’s quartermaster office, but the 11th Marines were already near the end of their deployment, and Noland returned to the US by April 18th. With tensions rising due to World War Two abroad, the 1st Marine Division began amphibious training exercises throughout July and August aboard the USS Neville, where Noland transferred to the 2nd Battalion’s Headquarters. It was here that he learned of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 and the US declaration of war on the Axis powers. Noland was going to war for the second time.
Off to the Pacific
On March 21st, 1942, Noland transferred to Headquarters Company, 3rd Marine Brigade and was promptly promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant the following month and left the US aboard the USS McCawley. His unit arrived at Apia, Western Samoa on May 10th and began rigorous jungle training in anticipation for the island hopping campaign against the Japanese. Due to Noland’s age and occupation, he worked at the Brigade Quartermaster Office and had temporary duty with Detachment 1 of the brigade. Company C and B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines joined his detachment in January of 1943, and he worked with them as a Quartermaster Representative to make sure they got needed supplies for their training. On November 3rd, he officially joined Headquarters and Service Company, 22nd Marines as the NCO in charge of their service and supply platoon before arriving in Hawaii for amphibious warfare training.
Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Invasion of Guam
Noland remained in Hawaii as part of the rear echelon as the regiment captured Eniwetok Atoll in February, and Kwajalein and Roi Namur between April and May 1944. Noland helped ensure that the regiment stayed supplied and had all the necessary equipment for their assault, rejoining the unit at Guadalcanal on March 15th as they rested. His enlistment expired on April 19th, and he extended it for an additional two years to remain with his unit. The 22nd Marines joined the new 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in preparation for the recapture of Guam, and resumed their training schedule on the island. The Marines suited up and left the island in July, but Noland once again remained behind in a supply capacity as the 22nd Marines landed on Orote Peninsula and battled across Guam through heavy casualties. Noland was noted as being “very conscientious and extremely accurate in all work performed during the preparations for both battles. Once his unit returned to Guadalcanal in September, he only had a month to bid goodbye before returning to the United States by November.
After a well needed furlough, Noland joined Barracks Detachment, Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas where he remained until the end of the war. He briefly returned to his old reserve unit in New Orleans before officially retiring on December 21st, 1945 with the rank of Master Sergeant. Charles’ wife Eva tragically passed away in 1949 due to heart problems, and he never remarried. Instead, he worked on his farm until passing away on January 6th, 1957.