Line of Departure - Tarawa

Tarawa Atoll is a tiny dot in the Gilbert Islands of the South Pacific. In November 1943 over 6,000 men died on its 291-acre plain of confined, exposed, featureless coral sand and airstrip concrete in the most memorable battle in Marine Corps history.

After the American invasion of the Solomons, Japan woke up to the vulnerability of the Gilberts. It decided to make a stand on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll and heavily fortified it, garrisoning nearly 5,000 men there. The Japanese commandant boasted, “A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years.” But 5,600 Marines took it in three days, and only 17 Japanese survived.

The invasion of Tarawa was the first major American thrust into the heart of the Japanese Empire. The appalling savagery of the battle shocked and angered many Americans, some of whom called for a congressional investigation. But, as the awful totals of the dead and wounded grew from battle to battle, Tarawa was nearly forgotten.