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PELELIU, Palau - Rewind to 70 years earlier, and you have a
19-year-old William Darling, a private first class in the
Marine Corps at the time, and Kiyokazu Tsuchida, a
24-year-old soldier fighting for the Empire of Japan, on the
Island of Peleliu fighting against each other in one of the
bloodiest battles that would come out of World War II.
Fast forward to 2014, and you have the two veterans from
that same battle back on the same island only, this time not
as enemies, but friends. Along with the band was the color
guard from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, who came from
Hawaii to be part of the ceremony that commemorated the
battle on Sept. 15, 1944, where Marines from the 1st Marine
Division landed on Peleliu. At the time of the landing, they
were 26,000-strong, getting ready to fight soldiers from the
Empire of Japan.
A plaque dedicated to the 1st
Marine Division sits atop Bloody Nose Ridge at the 1st Marine
Division Memorial on the Island of Peleliu, Palau, Sept. 15, 2014.
This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the landing on Peleliu, in
which Marines from the 1st Marine Division fought in and was one of
the bloodiest battles during World War II in the Pacific. (U.S.
Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Erik Estrada) |
The Japanese, in an effort to be more defensive in a war
that they were already losing, decided to switch tactics and
quit attacking the American forces at the beach. Instead,
they stepped back, building thousand-man caves and a
brilliant system of tunnels. This worked incredibly in favor
of the Japanese.
During the battle, the U.S. forces
suppressed the Japanese to a massive three-day bombardment
from aircraft carriers. More than 500 16-inch shells and
nearly 1,800 500-pound bombs were dropped on the island
during this period. After more than two months of fighting,
the 1st Marine Division secured the island suffering
approximately 1,300 casualties and another 5,450 wounded.
“So to the veterans of this battle, we honor you,” said
Maj. Gen. Charles L. Hudson, commander of Marine Corps
Installations, Pacific. “Yours is the generation of heroes
that we try to emulate day in and day out.”
As
Marines from the time say, it was the “bitterest battle of
the war.” In retrospect the Corps lost more men during this
battle than any other battle, including Tarawa, Iwo Jima and
Okinawa. Peleliu was thought to be a stronghold and vital to
the war because of the island's position.
Both Gen.
Douglas MacArthur and Adm. Chester Nimitz saw a path to
working their way onto mainland Japan through the island.
Although the capturing of the island later proved less
pivotal than anticipated, Marines fought valiantly at
Peleliu. Of the 14 Medals of Honor awarded to Marines during
World War II, eight were awarded to Marines that fought at
Peleliu for their gallantry in battle, five of which made
the ultimate sacrifice.
One of the most iconic
Marines to have ever lived also fought here and almost lost
his life; Col. Lewis B. Puller, better known as “Chesty,”
commanded the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, at
the time of the landing.
Over the past 70 years, many
have showed respect to veterans of the battle. The United
States Navy has a ship that bears the islands name, USS
Peleliu. Aboard USS Peleliu, there is a passageway with
history on the battle and which honors the Marines and
sailors who gave their lives that day. Berthing areas on the
ship also bear the names of the Medal of Honor recipients.
E.B. Sledge spoke of the battle in his book, “With the Old
Breed,” and most recently in popular culture the TV-series
dubbed “The Pacific” follows the 1st Marine Division, known
as “the Old Breed” or “Blue Diamond” with an episode that
included the landing on the island.
Though the Battle
of Peleliu took place 70 years ago, evidence of the
destruction caused can still be seen today. Tsuchida said
hopefully a tragedy like this never happens again for either
country.
Now decades removed from World War II, the
nations of Japan and the U.S. share a partnership in the
security, cooperation and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific
region.
More photos available below
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Erik Estrada
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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