Ed Monahan was born in 1916, and grew up in Dedham, MA. He was an accomplished singer, and worked as a store clerk throughout the Depression. In early 1941, he was drafted by the Army, and was assigned to Company G, of the 182nd Infantry Regiment. He scored exceptionally high on the Army’s IQ test, a fact others in the company used to boast about to rival units. In Photo #1, cropped from the Company G unit photo seen here, Monahan can be seen in the back row, third from the right. Photo #2 shows Monahan in the back yard of his family home in Dedham, just prior 182nd’s departure for the Pacific at the outset of World War II.
Monahan was one of the junior soldiers in Company G, serving as a Private First Class during the 182nd’s first combat experiences on Guadalcanal. He claimed to have scouted the regiment’s first foray into the jungle on 18 November 1942, alongside the 2nd Battalion commanding officer, Colonel Bernard Twombly. In the undated Photo #3, likely taken early in the war, Monahan is quoted, recalling a difficult experience. The photo and quote were published in the newsletter of his former employer, Ecco Stores. The hat on his head appears to be from a Japanese soldier.
By the time of the battle for Hill 260 on Bougainville, Ed Monahan was a Technical Sergeant, serving as the senior NCO for the 1st Platoon of Company G. On 11 March 1944, the unit participated in a head-on assault on Japanese positions on the South Knob of the hill. They came under heavy fire and began to suffer casualties. Almost simultaneously, a Japanese attack from the top of the hill headed down towards them. In the ensuing battle, Monahan was awarded a Bronze Star for his actions in directing mortar fire, and helping to evacuate wounded in the American retreat that followed (see citation in Photo #4)
On 20 March during another assault on Japanese positions on Hill 260, Monahan was hit by grenade fragments. He did not initially notice the wound, only realizing he had been hit when he reached for his canteen and found his hand covered by blood. He was evacuated to a field hospital, and was later awarded a Purple Heart for this wound. He returned to Company G a few weeks later. The telegram seen in Photo #5 was delivered home to his father in Dedham.
In early February 1945, Ed Monahan became First Sergeant of Company G, the senior enlisted man in the unit. The order designating him First Sergeant, seen in Photo #6 is signed by Captain John Murphy. His position as both a platoon sergeant and later first sergeant still required a high level of responsibility from this soldier. Monahan’s family and other Company G veterans recalled that he had been considered for a battlefield commission, but he refused to consider the option. Despite serving in the role of First Sergeant, Monahan was never promoted to the rank of First Sergeant, topping out at Technical Sergeant, one grade below.
Ed Monahan was decorated with awards for bravery and service, as an individual, and as a member of a unit. His awards can be seen in Photo #7. Top row (L-R: Bronze Star with V for heroism and an Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four battle stars and an arrowhead signifying an amphibious assault, Purple Heart, and the World War II Victory Medal. Bottom row (L-R: Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert M-1 Rifle, Distinguished Unit Emblem (blue), Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two battle stars, and the Presidential Unit Emblem – Navy, (Red, Yellow, Blue). Additionally shown are his dog tag and his Technical Sergeant rank shoulder insignia.
Ed Monahan defied the odds and survived all four combat campaigns of the Americal Division. He spent nearly three and a half years overseas. But like most of the men who served in the 182nd prior to the outbreak of war, he never made it to the occupation of Japan. Monahan was rotated home on points in May, 1945, after the end of the heavy fighting on Cebu. In post-war Photo #8, Monahan’s Combat Infantryman Badge – the emblem of a soldier who has experienced battle – is displayed proudly on his left chest.
Ed Monahan returned to his hometown of Dedham after the war, and spent the remainder of his life as a resident of that Boston suburb. He married a Dedham girl, Claire McNally, in January 1948. The wedding, seen in Photo #9, was held at St. Mary’s Church in Dedham, and presided over by Monahan’s comrade from the Pacific, Father Laurence Brock. In 1986, Monahan and his wife went on a trip to Australia and New Zealand. They had a chance for a brief visit in Ballarat, and visited with his schoolgirl friend from the war seen in Photo #10, Betty Wynn (left), and her brother Orm (right).
Monahan passed away a few years later, in December 1991.