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Daniel McCahill

  • Possibly Daniel McCahill in the Company G unit photo from Camp Edwards in 1941 (his identity in this photo is disputed). Source: Edward Monahan Collection.
  • Poem composed by John Mulcahy, printed in the local Franklin Sentinel on Memorial Day 1943, several months after McCahill was killed on Guadalcanal. Source John Mulcahy Collection.
  • A street in Daniel McCahill's hometown of Franklin, MA is named after him, in memory of his service and sacrifice. Source: Mike Monahan.

Daniel McCahill was one of the men of Company G who served during the pre-war period at Camp Edwards. He can be seen in Photo #1 (though his identity in this photo is disputed) in the back row of the large 1941 unit photo.

During the first week in the hills of Guadalcanal in November 1942, Company G was engaged in a firefight with the Japanese. They were forced to pull back. McCahill, manning a machine gun, did not survive. It was not until several days later that Ed Monahan and Bill Joyce were able to retrieve their friend’s body and give it a proper burial. John Mulcahy, the unofficial Company G poet , wrote this sad piece about McCahill (Photo #2) . It was published in the newspaper of McCahill’s hometown, Franklin, MA on Memorial Day, 1943. The town of Franklin honored McCahill’s sacrifice in several ways. His name appears on a large monument to honor those killed during the war. Additionally, a street in the town was named after him (Photo #3).