The Mighty Devil Duck
Meet our new security Officer Siwash
Complete Water Solutions would like you to meet our newest member of the team. Security Officer Siwash. Named in honor of Sergeant Siwash of the Marine Corps second division.
Who Was Sergeant Siwash aka “The Devil Duck”
In 1942, the Marine Second Division was in New Zealand gearing up to go into combat with the Japanese during World War II. According to the Marine Corps, Sergeant Francis Fagen won Siwash in a poker game at a local bar.
The duck followed Fagen everywhere and developed quite a taste for beer. He was soon given the rank and name of Sergeant Siwash, named after Sgt. Jack “Siwash” Cornelius of Skagit Country, Washington and become a part of the Marine’s Second Division mascot.
In November 1943 it came time for the Marines to engage in the battle of Tarawa and it was one of the bloodiest battles in marine history. The Japanese had 4,000 soldiers dug in heavily into Tarawa and were building a fortified airfield complex. They were fixed with heavy caliber weapons and were so confident in their defenses, that Japanese admiral Kenji Shibaski reported “it would take 1 million men 100 years to conquer the island”.
Little did they know that on November 20th, 1943, at 3:00 am 18,000 marines, including Siwash, loaded into their salamander tractors and prepared for their launch. Japanese soldiers watched in horror as dawn approached and American soldiers were landing on the island.
On the first day of combat, the Marines were pinned down by heavy machine gun artillery and mortar fire and were only able to secure the first 70 yards of the beach. After hours of combat, the marines were charged by an enemy rooster and Sergeant Siwash charged out past the Marine line to meet the winged enemy and fight in one -to-one winged combat in the middle of the battlefield. After several pecs to the head, Siwash was able to declare victory and save his fellow Marines, earning him the nickname “The Devil Duck”.
Over the next few days, 18,000 Marines and 1 duck completely took over the island from the Japanese. The Marines tried to get Siwash a purple heart for his brave actions on the battlefield but was instead given a written citation for the courageous actions and wounds received on the battlefield “with utter disregard for his own personal safety and without hesitation to engage in fierce combat with one rooster of Japanese ancestry.” Though wounded on the head by repeated pecs, he refused medical attention until all wounded members of his section were taken care of first.”
His service didn’t stop here. He went on to serve during the battle of Saipan – though no winged enemies were present, and he stayed back in the safety of a destroyer.
They couldn’t keep the Devil Duck back for long though, and at the battle of Tinian, Siwash hit the beach and captured a tiny Japanese duck. Afterwards, it was finally time to retire and upon returning home, the Devil duck was given a hero’s welcome before parting ways with his division and Fagan and went to live out the rest of his life at Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo. Upon moving to the zoo, it was discovered that Siwash was not a he duck, but a she and the hard drinking lass lived out the rest of her years before passing away from liver disease in 1954.
Her funeral was held at a taxidermy shop, where she was stuffed and presented to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Semper fi Siwash
