In early February of 2018, I inherited the private diary of Warren Davis "Buddy" Blewster, a young man from Anniston, Alabama who was killed in action on the island of Guadalcanal.

There is not much left to describe the story of "Buddy" except for the few articles I have found and a couple of photographs someone gave me. It has been a weight on my chest since receiving the diary to write about him, to tell the story our community needs to hear.

I do not know much about Warren except for the fact that he loved his country enough to sacrifice his greatest love, baseball to serve his country. He played ball for many years including his senior year at Anniston High School.

Warren Davis Blewster enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent the Solomon Islands in 1942. He arrived on the island of Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, and he began writing a diary every day up until 2 days before his youthful death on October 22, 1942. He was buried by the military. In 1948 his mother requested his body and the Marine Corps returned it home to her. He is buried at Edgemont Cemetary in Anniston, Alabama.

I want the community to know the story of Warren Davis Blewster the heroic Marine who laid down his life for his country.

I will close with the poem a fellow serviceman wrote in the back of his diary.

To Our Blew

"You will never find a man,

so fine as Blew,

Doing his bit for his country,

the same as all of you.

He was my best friend,

From boot camp till the end,

Always standing gun watches,

from start till the end.

To all the boys the knew him

He was their friend,

Yes, to all the boys from Co (M)

He was their friend right till the end.

He will never be forgotten

Even though he is dead,

Because in our hearts

He will be man's best friend.

To the ones that did this

they will pay,

It may take some time

to put them away."

--Bucko Boulett

I hope that what you take from this is that this man existed. Even though time continues to trudge on and men like him are forgotten-- remember that they did, in fact, exist. Warren Davis Blewster was a hero because he served his country until death, and for that, he should be remembered.