Pensacolian Milton Oliver Hardy was the son of Robert Morgan Hardy and Lula Belle Pyburn. Milton enlisted in the USMC prior to WWII and soon found himself fighting with the 2nd Marine Regiment on Guadalcanal on August 29, 1942. The Marines there were running short of food and munitions so the Navy was trying to supply them and fight the formidable Japanese Fleet at the same time.
One of the ships that made it through to assist was the destroyer USS Colhoun. But on board that ship was Milton's younger brother Robert Burns Hardy, a 2nd Class Machinists Mate. The boys had not seen each other in over a year and the reunion was joyous in the midst of the surrounding death and destruction. The survival of the embattled Marines on Guadalcanal was still in doubt and the Navy was fighting for theirs as well.
As the brothers embraced and said goodbye on August 30th, Robert's ship pulled out and headed out to sea. While Milton watched in horror from the shore, he saw Japanese bombers suddenly appear over the horizon striking his brother's ship with several bombs. The explosions killed all the men in the after deck house and blew several of their gun emplacements completely off the ship. Amidst the fire and explosions 51 men were killed and 18 wounded in the attack. Within minutes, the Colhoun sank from sight taking Robert with it as his distraught brother looked on helplessly.
A War Department telegram arrived for Robert's wife, Phyllis Ellen Robertson Hardy and his young daughter Joyce. Robert's body was never recovered, but a grave marker in his memory is located at Barrancas Cemetery. Milton would survive the war and return home to his family. He passed away in 1961 and was buried in Oklahoma.
Newspaper photo of USS Colhoun sinking off Guadalcanal August 30 1942
