[/align] In World War II, the United States Marine Corps played a central role in the Pacific War. The battles of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Tarawa, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa all saw fierce fighting between Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army.
Amphibious assaults, night actions, island hopping, fighting and dying over mere miles of sand, on top of an unbearable climate, all tempered the USMC into a force to be reckoned with. The picturesque backdrop of crystal clear water and lush green terrain stood in stark contrast to the horror playing out around them.
Determined American men faced an equally determined, and to most of them alien, Japanese foe in some of the grisliest actions of WWII. The USMC and its bravery was made the stuff of legend during those dark years of war in the Pacific, and they continue to inspire those who enlist today.
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