James Paul "J.P." Morgan was a Sergeant in the 1st Marine Division who was a participant in the Guadalcanal campaign, along with his best friends John Basilone and Manuel Rodriguez.
History[]
J.P. first appears just before a speech by Lieutenant Colonel Lewis "Chesty" Puller, at first being jokingly tricked by his friends Basilone and Rodriguez into thinking that he had arrived too late to hear Chesty's speech.
That night, J.P. and Manny go to Basilone's house to celebrate Christmas with him and his family.
Guadalcanal[]
J.P.'s regiment, the 7th Marine Regiment, arrived shortly after the Battle of the Tenaru on Guadalcanal. They passed by the 1st Marine Regiment which looked ragged and exhausted. Manny Rodriguez remarked that they looked as if they had been through the wringer, to which J.P. replies, "that's one way of putting it."
Soon after, J.P.'s unit (D/1/7, a weapons company) is attacked by the Japanese. One of the officers, a man named 2nd Lieutenant Iseman, is killed by a gunshot to the head, but the other Marines manage to escape. Basilone orders J.P. to take point.
Later, during lunch, J.P. gets increasingly frustrated with frequent radio news reports. He threatens the radio operators, but Basilone and Manny stop him. J.P explains that all he wants to hear is that some "Jap ships got sunk off some crappy island called Guadalcanal", unfortunately, they would need the retreating navy for that. Basilone then suggests that J.P. be cheered up by some hot chow, which, unfortunately comprised of rice, which does not cheer J.P. up in any way.
J.P and Basilone
J.P. would later serve as a machine gunner in an ensuing battle with Basilone as the other. During the battle, J.P. gets surrounded by enemies with no ammo, but fortunately, Basilone arrives to save him and his assistant gunner with Cecil Evans. Basilone manages to shoot down many Japanese soldiers, but soon he realizes that the field of fire is blocked, so against J.P.'s objections, Basilone manages to move the blockage and J.P. is given a clear field of fire while Basilone helps throughout the battle.
The morning after the battle, J.P. and Basilone realize that Manny is missing, so Basilone goes to look, failing two or three times before finding Manny dead in the forest, bringing his body back to camp. J.P. and Basilone mourn Manny then board the boat taking them off of Guadalcanal.
Melbourne[]
Once they get to Melbourne, Australia, by now, J.P. has been promoted to the rank of Platoon Sergeant. In a bar, J.P. and Basilone set up a drink in honor of Manny, who they even set a drink for. Meanwhile, an Australian guard comes over and starts taunting them, to which Morgan responds: "If it weren't for us, you'd be drinking sake with two chopsticks up your ass, you stupid fuck!" In response, the guard punches Basilone in the face, who responds by punching him harder in the nose and knocking him down. After John is told he has been awarded the Medal of Honor, J.P and John are in a bar that is raided by MP's. They escape and Basilone tries to steal the MPs' jeep where J.P. says You can't do this anymore John! John listens and they leave. The Medal of Honor ceremony shows Basilone and he receives the award and you can see J.P. is one of the proudest for him.
J.P. is last seen just before Basilone boards a plane home to start his war bonds tour. J.P. gives a few words then watches Basilone take off.
Background[]
It is unclear whether J.P. Morgan was a real person. He may be a representation of Sergeant Richard Greer.[1]