Pacific in Eruption

SP with the 20th century has been a fateful one for the Pacific world as the midpoint of that century was reached the attention of the entire world was focused on the Pacific Basin in Korea the course of the Earth's history was altered by the hundreds of thousands who fought in the cause of freedom on that battle scard Peninsula the country which served as the setting for the historic struggle between the forces of slavery and the forces of Freedom lay thoroughly devastated faced with the overwhelming job of rebuilding their country the people of Korea began their task with virtually nothing to build on but the country was not laid waste in vain The Men Who had fought against the Invaders from the North in Korea were part of the first fighting force to resist aggression by direct military action on behalf of the United Nations of the Free World this determined resistance against Superior forces served notice to the World At Large of the Integrity of the United Nations this is the first time that enforcement action has been taken by the United Nations this action should be hailed as encouraging faith in United States support of the peacemaking functions of the United Nations the history of aggression in the Pacific world is a long and bloody one the success of the Japanese armies manua helped strengthen the Japanese militarist cek which celebrated the birth of what was piously called an independent nation the Japanese installed the opportunistic buoi as chief executive of the newly proclaimed Nation but actually Manuka was nothing more than a puppet state whose Destinies were firmly controlled from Japan this high-handed seizure of manua was taken under consideration by another body of Nations dedicated to preventing aggression the League of Nations Japan's delegate mataka protested his country's innocence it is a matter of commonality that Japan's policy is fundamentally inspired by a genuine desire to guarantee peace in the Far East and to contribute to the maintenance of peace throughout the world Japan however find it impossible to accept the report adopted by the assembly Japan subsequently withdrew from the League of Nations that body proved itself incapable of stemming the tide of aggression either in Europe or in Asia it was inevitable that the Japanese militarists should one day turn their attention Southward toward China in 1937 China's large coastal cities came under attack in China Japan's pattern for Conquest was firmly established the Chinese became the first refugees of the struggle which was to grow into the second world war Shanghai fell to the aggressors in November 1937 and the Japanese tightened their grip on the mainland of Asia 4 years later Japan's program of aggression in the Pacific had grown to staggering proportions from a point 300 M off aahu Japanese planes took off on the strike which marked the start of World War II in the Pacific the crippling of the US Pacific Fleet and the Pearl Harbor attack left the United States with only a small Naval force in fighting condition the careful employment of that inadequate complement of ships was the job of Admiral Chester Nimitz commanderin-chief Pacific Fleet the Navy's battered Pacific Fleet was all that stood between the enemy and further amphibious conquests the US Navy won two great victories during the first half of 1942 victories which proved turning points in the war against Japan in June after the US us Fleet had won the first round in an engagement with a powerful enemy Naval force in the Carl sea the two large fleets met again off Midway Island as in the Coral Sea battle the naval engagement at Midway was primarily an airac Naval Warfare took a new turn in early 1942 in the Pacific and American carrier planes reinforced by landbased marine and Army planes from Midway dealt the enemy a crushing defeat the US Navy had paid back the Japanese for Pearl Harbor in those early months of war in the Pacific American fighting forces were woefully under strength ill prepared for the job of stopping the Japanese advances in the Illusions which lie between North America and Japan's home Islands the US garrisons were particularly undermanned American air units were severely handicapped by the unpredictable weather and by the generally difficult Terrain each time a plane left its base even on a routine flight there was a strong feeling of uncertainty about its safe return though contact with the Enemy was limited in the Illusions it was of the most vital importance to the United States to keep the enemy from advancing along the island chain toward the American Mainland Southward the job of containing the enemy Advance was quite a different problem in the jungles of New Guinea Allied soldiers fought a determined campaign helped materially by friendly natives to keep the enemy from seizing control of the entire Island and broadening the area of South Pacific conquests the Aussies quickly became acclimated to fighting in the mountainous jungle territory but getting at the enemy in that country was a slow business advancing in the malaria written jungle were made tortuously though the AES sometimes felt they'd been forgotten there was evidence from time to time that they weren't really isolated after all and as the Allies seiz the offensive the fo soldiers were supported in increasing numbers by new bombers which gave the enemy a sample of things to come on a tiny Coral ATL named Tarawa in November 1943 the United States opened a new assault toward Japan from another Direction One Division of Marines the second was assigned the task of reducing this enemy stronghold Tarawa was one of the most heavily fortified positions in Japan's outer defense ring the 76h hour battle for that atol assumed epic proportion the Marines casualties were heavy but a most valuable piece of land had been taken from the enemy Tarawa was a platform from which the American offensive in the Central Pacific would be continued driving closer and closer to the main target Japan itself the a Asiatic Pacific Theater extended Westward as far as India and encompassed the rugged spectacular Himalayan country the sprawling China Burma India area was one of the most confused commands of World War II one of its few notable achievements was the building of the Leo Road under the direction of General Vinegar Joe Stillwell commander of us and Chinese forces in the CBI the ultimate Target Japan itself was as remote as the moon the war as it was fought in the CBI was marred by jealousies and lack of cooperation among the command a condition which was generally reflected in the dispirited performance of Allied fighting men fortunately the campaign in the CBI consisted of a series of marginal actions virtually unrelated to the broader War the assault against the enemy's inner defense ring at saan and the Marianas came as a great shock to Japan for this mountainous Island the heart of Japan South Seas Empire was within Striking Distance of Tokyo the fight for sapan was one of the toughest of the Pacific War at sipan the Marine and soldiers who made the assault suffered some 14,000 casualties 3,000 dead in the 25-day battle still farther west an invasion of the Philippines was made at late island with the assault on the Philippines by American GIS who had driven north and west through the New Guinea jungles a promise made 2 and 1/2 years earlier was kept 2 years ago I said to the people of the Philippines whence I came I shall return I repeat those words I shall return nothing is more certain than the ultimate reconquest and Liberation from the enemy of those and adjacent lands America's newest long range bombers the powerful b-29s took off on missions over the Japanese Homeland beginning in late 1944 the trip from bases in the Marianas to Japan and return total some 2500 mil just about all of it over water no other heavy bombers in any theater had such an assignment finally after 7 hours the enemy's Homeland lay just ahead the enemy began to have some doubts about the invincibility of the Japanese war machine the effect of the raids on Japanese morale was incalculable inevitably the submarine was destined to play an important part in the Navy's war in the Pacific throughout the war the exploits of American Subs were generally classed as secret for security reasons but their achievements though unpublicized were notable Down Periscope during World War II us Subs accounted for 63% of the total of Japanese Merchant shipping sunk in the Pacific and nearly a third of the enemy's combat ship sent to the bottom once more in early 1945 a small heavily defended Island Fortress had to be taken and once more the job fell to the Marines the assault on iojima was one of the bloodiest chapters in Marine Corps history three divisions of Marines inched forward in the face of heavy fire from a thoroughly dug in enemy the battle for this Inferno of square miles raged for 26 days 26 days of continuing bitter fighting the Marines lost 5,000 dead and 177,000 wounded but the Rocky island was in American hands in April 1945 an assault was made against an enemy held stronghold even closer to Japan at okanawa offshore kamakazi attacks on American ships by enemy suicide Pilots reached a final frenzied Peak the US Navy lost 36 ships off okanawa more than 350 more were damaged casualties were heavy the Navy Alone lost nearly 5,000 men killed and almost that many more wounded but US forces had successfully fought their way to the shore of Japan itself in the seven divisions of soldiers and Marines on okanawa there were nearly 40,000 casualties 7,000 of them dead amen with Japan bracing itself for an invasion of its Homeland a different kind of attack provided a terrifying conclusion to World War II at hirosima Japan on August 6th 1945 the world moved into a new era in which the threat of possible destruction of the planet Earth hung menacingly over it from that day onward less than a month later in Tokyo bay on board the US Battleship Missouri the formal surrender of Japan was made to officers of the Allied governments engaged in the war against that Nation general of the Douglas MacArthur presided at the ceremony we are gathered here representatives of the major Waring powers to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored it is my Earnest hope and indeed the hope of all my mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and Carnage of the past I now invite the representatives of the emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General headquarters to sign the instrument of surrender at the places indicated the once arrogant Japanese whose aggressive sweep across the Pacific had been begun less than 4 years earlier had finally been brought to Bay the ceremony on the Missouri concluded the most costly War the world had ever known fought over an expanse of hundreds of thousands of miles on that cloudy September morning in Tokyo bay it seemed that a lasting peace had surely been brought to the Pacific and to the world let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always these proceedings are closed the enemy was finally completely defeated the future of Japan was now the concern of the allies and particularly of the United States the administration of Japan in the Years directly following the end of World War II was firm and efficient the American Army supervised the operation of the conquered country assisted by Japanese who had been classed as trustworthy helpers for the overtaxed Americans under the guidance of American occupation Personnel the people of Japan quickly learned the mechanics of democracy despite the dislocation of its National attitude the country rapidly recovered its composure but before 5 years had passed a new aggressor put an end to peace in the Pacific the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950 had far greater implications than the Japanese attack on manuia 19 years before acting with the endorsement of the United Nations the United States quickly went to the defense of South Korea but American forces in the Far East were limited in strength and most of the troops were inexperience through the summer of 1950 American GIS fought on courageously against overwhelming odds at headquarters of the United Nations the Korean fighting won top priority on the discussion agenda the Soviet delegate referred several times to quote the aggression of which the United States is guilty against the Korean people end quote this statement has been repeated over and over through every Soviet inspired channel on Earth we've had it telegraphed To Us by others and we've heard it again today it is a lie it is a big lie the debate continued through the summer who then is supporting the United Nations Charter and working for peace the 53 members of the United Nations who are assisting the Republican of Korea is the Soviet Union one of the 53 no by August 1950 the other free nations of the world were sending troops to the support of South Korea Britain sent 13,000 soldiers to join US troops in the lines the UN forces were further swelled by the arrival of 5,000 Filipino soldiers most of the Nations which had fought in the Pacific ific War sent troops to South Korea Australia's diggers who had fought so well in the steaming jungles of New Guinea arrived to battle under the UN Banner but the bulk of the fighting forces in the lines against the Communists in Korea were American troops as the tide of battle swept down into South Korea then North almost to the border of manua then South again and finally North across the 38th parallel once more US soldiers and Marines fought savagely to demonstrate Beyond any doubt that the US is prepared to stand behind the UN in resisting the aggressor the path of aggression LED once again to the same in glorious end the North Korean and Chinese Reds who surrendered to UN forces were far smaller in number than those who were killed while attempting to drive the UN forces off the Korean peninsula in its predatory invasion of South Korea the enemy suffered roughly a million casualties finally just one year after the invasion of South Korea Soviet delegate to the UN Yakov Malik indicated that perhaps the wind from the East was shifting Soviet people believe that as a first step discussions should be started between the belance for a seiz fire and an Armistice providing for the mutual withdrawal of forces from the 38th parallel can such a step be taken I think it can provided there is a the sincere desire to put an end to the bloody fighting in Korea but whether the world was technically at peace or a limited war was being fought on some far-flung Battlefield the people of the United States realized that their country must be stronger than ever before if the ultimate war of world destruction was to be avoided in the Pacific on any we talk at all the strength to resist any aggressor was being developed to the utmost on the efforts of the men occupied there depended the life or death of the Free World I andice let every feel your mind