Edward Joseph Bishop was born September 12, 1923 in Ilion, NY to Frank E. Bishop (1894-1955) and Cecilia Ina Flahaven (1883-1960). His parents were married on November 21, 1918 in Illion, NY. Edward was the third of her four children which included older step-brother Frank (from her first marriage) and Terrence (who was wounded in action in North Africa during World War II) and a younger sister Mary. His dad held a number of jobs while Edward was growing up including working at Remington Arms in Illion, managing the Mansion House in Illion and operating a farm. The 1940 US Census recorded that Edward was a farmhand and left school after 8th grade.

Edward enlisted in the Marines December 17, 1941 just 10 days after Pearl Harbor. His service number was 333094. He did his training at Paris Island, South Carolina (on Paris Island Muster Roll for January 1942) and then in April 1942 was relocated to New River, North Carolina (Camp Lejeune) before deploying to the south Pacific. His name appeared on the Marine Muster Rolls in July 1942 for New River and then again for a P/O of San Francisco.

The 1st Marines saw there first combat on Guadalcanal. US Marine Corp. Causality Indexes, 1940-1958 recorded him WIA (wounded in action) on September 15, 1942. During this time Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines were holding positions along the Lunga Perimeter near the Matanikau river. The division had just repelled the major enemy attack known as the Edson's Ridge Battle. The division was short on food and ammunition and malaria and dysentery were the norm.

His mom received a letter from him dated August 22 in which he said he had killed two of the enemy. She received notice of his death on September 18. In October 1942 a military mass was held at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Utica for Pvt. Bishop and Pvt. Gibbs who were both killed on Guadalcanal. His parents received his Purple Heart in the summer of 1943.

His body was returned home in February 1948 aboard the USAT Cardinal O'Connel. A military funeral was held for him on March 11, 1948 at the home of his parents. A solemn requiem high Mass was also held at the Church of the Annunciation, Clark Mills. Members of the Clark Mills American Legion Post 43 provided a military escort and he was placed in the St. Mary's Cemetery in Clinton, NY.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Herkimer 

Sources

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146082317/edward_j-bishop: accessed February 7, 2026), memorial page for Pvt Edward J Bishop (12 Sep 1923–18 Sep 1942), Find a Grave Memorial ID 146082317, citing Saint Mary's Cemetery, Clinton, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by John Dowdy (contributor 47791572). 

National Archives in Washington DC; Washington, DC, USA; NAI Title: U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958; NAI Number: Nara Microform Publication T977; Record Group Number: Record Group 127; Record Group Title: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps

New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Birth Index

New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Marriage Index

Obituary for Frank E. Bishop, The Clinton Courier, Clinton, NY, X, 3, 1955, pg. 5.

"Parents Receive Purple Heart Awarded Son", Utica Daily Press, June 30, 1943, pg. 6.

"Vicinity Marines Killed in Action", Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, September 25, 1942, pg. 4

Year: 1940; Census Place: Whitestown, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02702; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 33-112

Supporting Documents