70 YEARS AGO – The first Marine division made it's landing on Guadalcanal (ironically unopposed) on August 7, 1942. The battle which followed, lasting more than six months, marked the turning point in the Pacific land war. The stunning American naval victory off the island of Midway in June stopped Japanese expansion. Guadalcanal was the first Allied offensive against Japan, and the first time the"invincible" Japanese army was defeated.
Decades after the end of World War II, there seems to be an inevitability in the Allied victory. The Guadalcanal campaign, however, with its air of improvisation and desperate hand-to-hand fighting, is still captivating. Gen. Archer Vandegrift, Col "Red" Mike Edson, and Sgt. John Basilone (the three Medal of Honor winners), and the thousands of heroic men who fought, and frequently died, deserve to be remembered and honored.
If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend Robert Leckie's very readable Challenge for the Pacific: Guadalcanal: The Turning Point of the War.
Decades after the end of World War II, there seems to be an inevitability in the Allied victory. The Guadalcanal campaign, however, with its air of improvisation and desperate hand-to-hand fighting, is still captivating. Gen. Archer Vandegrift, Col "Red" Mike Edson, and Sgt. John Basilone (the three Medal of Honor winners), and the thousands of heroic men who fought, and frequently died, deserve to be remembered and honored.
If you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend Robert Leckie's very readable Challenge for the Pacific: Guadalcanal: The Turning Point of the War.
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