WWII--USMC--BATTLE FOR TARAWA ATOLL--BETIO ISLAND--1943--RARE! LONG OOP

Description

"LINE OF DEPARTURE: TARAWA--THE DRAMATIC STORY OF THE ANNIHILATING 76-HOUR BATTLE MARKING THE STARTING POINT OF DEFEATING THE ENEMY IN THE PACIFIC" is a 46 year-old, long out-of-print and very hard to find reference work! Tarawa Atoll is a tiny dot in the Gilbert Islands of the South Pacific. In November 1943 over 6000 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 Solomon Islands, Japan woke up to the vulnerability of the Gilbert Islands. It decided to make a stand on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll and heavily fortified it, garrisoning nearly 5000 men there. The Japanese commandant boasted that "A million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years!" But 5600 U.S. Marines took it in three days, and only 17 Japanese survived!! Some Japanese troops even committed suicide! 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. Here is the ENTIRE story of the U.S. Marine Corps victory on Betio Island!
Book is HARDBACK with DUSTJACKET published in 1975. It is in EXCELLENT CONDITION, measures 5 3/4" x 8 1/2", and contains 206 pages with 16 pages of RARE PHOTOGRAPHS!
Shipping in the U.S. is your choice--.78 Media Mail with FREE tracking or .95 Priority Mail with FREE tracking and insurance. Shipping discount for multiple items. We will combine most all multiple items into one package for shipping to save you money.
Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution