Hasbro Built G.I. Joe After This Marine 🤯
Mitchell Paige was a Marine hero at the Battle of Guadalcanal who single-handedly defended a critical machine gun position, inspiring Hasbro to create the G.I. Joe action figure in his honor. During the intense battle, Paige was miraculously spared from enemy fire and found spiritual reassurance through a Bible verse his mother had given him.
Summary
This transcript recounts the remarkable true story of Marine Mitchell Paige, who became the inspiration for Hasbro's iconic G.I. Joe action figure. During the Battle of Guadalcanal, a strategic machine gun position—a 30-caliber water-cooled weapon capable of firing 900-1200 rounds per minute—was crucial to controlling a ridge. This single gun could potentially determine the outcome of the entire battle. Paige engaged in a race against Japanese forces to reach the weapon first. Upon arriving at the position, he had to remove dead Marines from the gun before taking his position behind it. While opening fire, Paige was struck by approximately 30 rounds of enemy fire that burned his body from his chest down, yet miraculously he was not actually hit by the bullets. In the aftermath of this harrowing experience, Paige discovered that a Bible his mother had sent him to war with had fallen out during the battle. Upon opening it, he found a passage illuminated: Proverbs 3:5, which reads 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will lead your path.' This combination of extraordinary heroism and spiritual providence forms the basis of his legacy.
Key Insights
- Mitchell Paige was the Marine that Hasbro modeled the G.I. Joe doll after due to his actions at Guadalcanal
- A single 30-caliber machine gun position could cover an entire ridge and potentially determine the outcome of the Battle of Guadalcanal
- Paige reached the critical machine gun position first, removed dead Marines, and opened fire while being struck by approximately 30 rounds that burned his body but did not hit him
- A Bible sent by Paige's mother fell out during battle, and when opened, revealed Proverbs 3:5 as if highlighted
- Proverbs 3:5 was the specific verse Paige's mother had sent him to war with, which he discovered at a critical moment
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] I see you got a GI Joe doll up there. Mitchell Paige is the Marine that Hasbro toys made the GI Joe doll in honor of because of what he did on Guadalcanal. They rigged up [music] a 30 caliber water cooled to fire somewhere between 900 and 1200 rounds a minute. There was one machine gun that could cover the whole ridge. If the Japanese got to that gun before Mitchell Paige got to that gun, they would have won the Battle of Guadalcanal. Mitchell Paige is in a race [music] to get to that Mahoney gun. He sees it, a soldier sees it, has a name [0:30] Mitch gets there first, kicks the dead Marines off, he…
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