The Battle of the Coral Sea--a turning point for the War in the Pacific? Yes, as Japan lost two key aircraft carriers which would later prove costly at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. This epic sea battle took place from 4 May to 8 May 1942.
The Bataan Death March is a tragic event that marked one of the darkest moments of the Second World War. In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army ordered nearly 75,000 Filipino and American soldiers, who had surrendered in the battle of Bataan, to
The Raid at Cabanatuan, also known as the Great Raid, was one of the most daring and successful rescue missions of World War II. The mission, which took place on 30 January 1945, involved a small force of United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, a
The island of Okinawa, located approximately 350 miles from Japan's home islands, was the largest land, air, and sea battle in history and longest of the Pacific War. The United States' goal was to secure the island, as its airfields and waters wer
In the early months of 1942, the Japanese Army successfully invaded and conquered all areas of the Philippines. However, the tide of the war shifted when Allied forces launched a daring amphibious operation on the island of Leyte on 20 October 1944
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a pivotal moment in the Pacific War during World War II. The United States military launched Operation Detachment on 19 February 1945, with the objective of capturing the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army
The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign marked a significant chapter in the Pacific theatre of World War II, with a series of battles spanning from August 1942 to February 1944. Led by the United States Pacific Fleet and Marine Corps, the primary
26 December 1943-16 January 1944: Green Hell - The Battle of Cape Gloucester
On the second day after D-day, the action report of 27 December read "'Rains continued for the next five days. Water backed up in the swamps in rear of the shoreline, maki
The Battle of Tarawa, fought on 20-23 November 1943, was another turning point in the Allied campaign against Japan during World War II. Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, was the most fortified island that the Americans attempted to invade du
The Battle of Peleliu was a pivotal moment in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Codenamed Operation Stalemate II, the battle was fought between the United States and Japan from 15 September to 27 November 1944. The objective was to capture the a
The Battle of Guam in 1944 was a pivotal military operation during World War II, in which the United States recaptured the Japanese-held island of Guam, a U.S. territory in the Mariana Islands. The battle was a critical component of Operation Forag
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the earliest major ground battle of the Pacific War, fought between 7 August 1942, and 9 February 1943. It was a pivotal battle that saw the Allies, primarily the United States, take a crucial step towards victory in t
Movie fans may remember Lee Marvin for his most memorable role as Major John Reisman in 1967's hit film The Dirty Dozen. According to the movie site IMDB, Marvin acted in more than 230 movies. But to the acting legend, the role he most wanted to be
The Battle of Saipan, fought from 15 June to 9 July 1944, was a critical episode in the Pacific campaign of World War II. This clash unfolded on the island of Saipan, located within the Mariana Islands, marking a pivotal moment in Operation Forager.
Ernie Pyle remains a towering figure in the annals of American journalism, etching an indelible legacy as the voice of the common soldier during the cataclysm of World War II. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1944, Pyle captured the grim realities of w
Above: Source and text: "Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945. Assault on the beachhead. Marine-laden assault craft head to the beach at Iwo Jima during the initial landings on D-day. Note Mount Suribachi looming in the left background. From the Photograph
Above: Marines Leaving Guadalcanal, circa 1942. “A COUPLE LEAPERS -- ‘Leaping Lena’, a Higgins boat takes aboard a load of Marines to take them to a waiting transport for transfer to another South Pacific base from Guadalcanal. The Leathernecks leap
Very interesting video about the battle interspersed with modern and wartime pics. First US experience with Japanese wounded soldiers trying to kill American's evacuating or treating them. Also, the Marines used 37mm anti-tank cannons with cannister
Above: "Marines come ashore at Cape Gloucester, 26 December 1943." USMC Archives. Cape Gloucester USMC Photo No. 17. From the Frederick R. Findtner Collection (COLL/3890), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections. Official USMC photograph and in
29 November 1941, at sea in the Pacific aboard the USS Arizona The nationally-ranked Navy Midshipmen football team was down 6-0 at halftime to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The 1941 inter-service rivalry was being played in fro
