ORLANDO, FL – Editors note Correction:
According to the U.S. Marine Corps, the release was regarding the return of the remains of Charmning Rowe and his hometown was Orlovista, Florida. According to the Marines, PFC Canady arrived at Guadalcanal, the information about Pfc. Canady in the original story is all correct, however, the Marines are unaware on the status of Pfc. Canaday’s remains.
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Original:
More than 80 years after he was killed in action during World War II, U.S. U.S. Marine Corps Pvt. Charmning Rowe has returned home.
Rowe, of Orlovista, Florida, was just 21 when he died on Sept. 24, 1942, during a firefight with Japanese forces near Mount Austen on Guadalcanal. He was one of 10 Marines buried in hastily dug graves, known as Hill X and Hill Y, in enemy territory. For decades, those graves were lost to history.
On June 5, 2025, Rowe’s remains were repatriated to his family after a decade-long recovery mission led by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). This return marks a significant moment in the nation’s effort to honor those who served.
“Today we close the chapter on a story that began in 1942 and bring home a hero,” said Sgt. Matthew Wedding, the Marine charged with escorting Rowe’s remains. “This mission embodies our commitment to never forget and to fulfill our promise to bring every Marine home.”
Rowe enlisted in the Marine Corps on Jan. 20, 1942, shortly after the U.S. entered the war. After training at Parris Island, South Carolina, he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He arrived on Guadalcanal on Sept. 18, 1942—just six days before his death.
On Sept. 23, under Lt. Col. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, Rowe and his fellow Marines patrolled southwest of Henderson Field, tasked with pushing back Japanese forces. The next day, Rowe and three other Marines—Pvt. Randolph R. Edwards, Pfc. Erwin S. King, and Pfc. Morris E. Canady—were killed by enemy fire. They were buried the following morning on Hill X, with their graves marked by comrades.
Despite efforts by the American Graves Registration Service in the late 1940s, none of the 10 Marines buried at Hills X and Y were recovered. In 1949, Rowe was declared “non-recoverable.”
In 2012, the DPAA reopened the case after new research indicated that recovery teams may have searched the wrong locations. Using aerial imagery from 1942 found in a Hawaiian archive, investigators were able to accurately locate Hills X and Y.
Excavation efforts resumed in 2016. In 2018, a DPAA team uncovered human remains and military artifacts, including Pfc. King’s dog tag, on Hill X. Further efforts in 2019 yielded more remains linked to Rowe and his fellow Marines.
“This mission highlights the institution’s commitment to never leaving a Marine behind,” said 1st Sgt. Juan Duque, inspector-instructor with the 4th Marine Logistics Group.
Rowe and the other Marines killed on Hill X were posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. Their names are etched on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, honoring their sacrifice.