USA > Hawaii > Honolulu County > Honolulu > Honolulu Memorial :National Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii : West Coast Memorial, East Coast Memorial > Part 2
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VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC
1. IN THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN THE TEMPO QUICK-
ENED. HAVING ALREADY PENETRATED THE JAPANESE BASIC DEFENSIVE PERIM- ETER BY INVADING THE MARIANAS AND THE PALAUS AND BY PUSHING ALONG THE NEW GUINEA COAST AND ON TO MOROTAI , BYPASSING AND ISOLATING MANY THOUSANDS OF THE ENEMY BY THEIR LEAPFROG ASSAULTS, OUR JOINT FORCES PREPARED TO STRIKE AT THE JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS.
2. THE DECISIVE VICTORY IN THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA IN JUNE 1944 OPENED THE PHILIPPINES TO DIRECT ATTACK; OUR LANDINGS WERE ADVANCED TWO MONTHS AND SCHEDULED INTERMEDIATE OPERA- TIONS WERE CANCELLED. ON 20 OCTO- BER AMERICAN FORCES LANDED ON LEYTE. REALIZING THAT THE LOSS OF THESE ISLANDS WOULD IMPERIL THE REMAINDER OF HIS WARTIME GAINS THE ENEMY REACTED SWIFTLY, RISK- ING, AND LOSING, A MAJOR SEA CON- TEST WITH THE THIRD AND SEVENTH FLEETS WHICH ELIMINATED JAPAN AS A SEAPOWER. ON 9 JANUARY 1945 WE RETURNED TO LUZON-THE COM- PLETE LIBERATION OF THE PHIL- IPPINES FOLLOWED.
3. IN BURMA, ALLIED FORCES OVER- RAN THE JAPANESE, WHILE IN CHINA, UNDER THE STIMULUS OF AIR- AND GROUND-BORNE SUPPLY FROM THE WEST, THE ENEMY'S GRASP WAS BROKEN. IN NOVEMBER 1944 THE U.S. AIR FORCES OPENED THEIR MAJOR AIR ATTACKS AGAINST THE JAPANESE HOMELAND FROM BASES IN THE MARI- ANAS, TO WHICH THEY SOON REDE- PLOYED THEIR AIRCRAFT WHICH HAD OPERATED EFFECTIVELY AGAINST THE ENEMY FROM THE CHINESE MAINLAND. UNTIL THE END OF HOSTILITIES THESE ATTACKS CONTINUED WITH EVER IN- CREASING INTENSITY. IN FEBRUARY CAME THE CAPTURE OF IWO JIMA WHICH PROVIDED A BASE FOR FIGHTER ESCORTS AND A HAVEN FOR CRIPPLED BOMBERS FACED WITH THE LONG OVERWATER RETURN FROM JAPAN TO THE MARIANAS.
4. FOR MONTHS, AIRCRAFT OF THE NAVY'S FAST CARRIERS AS WELL AS ARMY AIR FORCE BOMBERS HAD RE-
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VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC
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An Operations Map-North Gallery (U.S. Army Photograph)
PEATEDLY ATTACKED OKINAWA, THE FINAL STEPPING STONE TO JAPAN ; OUR TRIPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON THAT ISLAND EARLY IN MARCH CULMINATED IN ITS CAPTURE BY LATE JUNE.
5. THROUGHOUT THE WAR U.S. SUBMARINES CONTRIBUTED MATERI- ALLY TO OUR SUCCESS. OPERATING OFTEN THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM THEIR BASES, DEEP WITHIN ENEMY- CONTROLLED WATERS, THEY STRUCK WITH DEVASTATING EFFECTIVENESS AND, BY WAR'S END, HAD DESTROYED NEARLY ONE-THIRD OF JAPAN'S COM- BAT SHIPS AND ONE-HALF OF HER MERCHANT MARINE, WHILE ALSO PER- FORMING MISSIONS OF RECONNAIS- SANCE, SUPPLY, AND THE RESCUE OF ISOLATED PERSONNEL.
6. PLANS FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN CONTEMPLATED A TRIPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON KYUSHU IN NOVEMBER 1945, FOLLOWED BY A LATER ATTACK ON THE TOKYO PLAIN. IN PREPARA-
TION, OUR AIR AND NAVAL BOMBARD- MENTS OF JAPAN CONTINUED UN- ABATED. THE DEVASTATION FROM THE AIR OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI IN EARLY AUGUST WAS FOLLOWED BY THE CAPITULATION OF THE JAPANESE GOV- ERNMENT, THE SURRENDER TERMS BE- ING SIGNED IN TOKYO BAY ON 2 SEP- TEMBER 1945, 1,365 DAYS AFTER THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.
LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES OCTOBER 1944-15 AUGUST 1945
FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE LONG ENEMY OCCUPATION OF THE PHILIP- PINES, UNITED STATES FORCES PER- SISTENTLY FOUGHT THEIR WAY BACK. EVENTUALLY, ON 20 OCTOBER 1944, UNDER COVER OF NAVAL GUNFIRE AND AIR BOMBARDMENT OF THE SEVENTH FLEET AND WITH LONG-RANGE SUPPORT BY AIRCRAFT OF THE THIRD FLEET, THE SIXTH ARMY LANDED ON THE EASTERN SHORES OF LEYTE.
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THEREUPON THE JAPANESE DECIDED TO RISK A MAJOR SEA BATTLE IN A DE- TERMINED EFFORT TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN FORCES; THREE FLEETS MOVED TOWARD THE PHILIPPINES. ON 23 OCTOBER AMERICAN SUBMARINES AT- TACKED THE CENTER FORCE IN PALA- WAN PASSAGE. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY AIRCRAFT FROM THE THIRD FLEET INFLICTED HEAVY LOSSES ON THIS FORCE IN THE SIBUYAN SEA WHILE JAP- ANESE AIRCRAFT FROM LUZON DE- STROYED A U.S. CARRIER.
DURING THE NIGHT OF 24-25 OCTO- BER THE ENEMY'S SOUTHERN FORCE STEAMED INTO SURIGAO STRAIT DIRECT- LY TOWARD THE WAITING SEVENTH FLEET AND WAS DECISIVELY DEFEATED BY TORPEDO ATTACKS AND GUNFIRE. MEANWHILE THE THIRD FLEET MOVED TO INTERCEPT THE NORTHERN FORCE AND ON 25-26 OCTOBER WON A MAJOR VICTORY OFF CAPE ENGANO.
ON THE MORNING OF 25 OCTOBER THE CENTER FORCE PUSHED THROUGH SAN BERNARDINO STRAIT AND ATTACKED THE ESCORT CARRIERS OF THE SEVENTH FLEET OFF SAMAR. ALTHOUGH OUT- NUMBERED AND OUTGUNNED, THE ES- CORT CARRIERS AND THEIR SCREEN OF DESTROYERS FORCED THE ENEMY TO WITHDRAW. RELIEVING OUR GROUND FORCES FROM THE MENACE OF ISOLA- TION, THE DECISIVE DEFEAT OF THE JAPANESE FLEET AT THESE BATTLES FOR LEYTE GULF ALSO RENDERED IT POWERLESS TO PREVENT FUTURE AM- PHIBIOUS OPERATIONS.
TWO MONTHS OF HARD FIGHTING FREED MOST OF LEYTE, ALTHOUGH MANY JAPANESE ESCAPING TO THE NORTH AND WEST RESISTED THE PUR- SUING EIGHTH ARMY, NOW IN CONTROL ON THE ISLAND. IN DECEMBER THE SIXTH ARMY SEIZED MINDORO; MEAN- WHILE THE JAPANESE MASSED A QUARTER OF A MILLION MEN TO DEFEND LUZON.
ON 9 JANUARY 1945, THE SEVENTH FLEET LANDED THE SIXTH ARMY AT LINGAYEN GULF. SUPPORTED BY THE FIFTH AIR FORCE AND BY MARINE CORPS AND NAVAL AIRCRAFT, THE TROOPS PUSHED INLAND. INITIALLY, RESIST-
ANCE WAS ENCOUNTERED ALONG THE LEFT FLANK; ON THE RIGHT AMERICAN FORCES ADVANCED DOWN THE CEN- TRAL PLAINS TOWARD MANILA. AFTER FIERCE FIGHTING MANILA, BATAAN, AND CORREGIDOR WERE CLEARED OF THE ENEMY. U.S. TROOPS AND PHILIPPINE GUERRILLA FORCES, CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORTED BY AERIAL BOMBARDMENT, THEN FORCED THE ENEMY DEEP INTO THE MOUNTAINS. ON 1 JULY, THE EIGHTH ARMY ASSUMED RESPONSI- BILITY FOR LAND OPERATIONS; THE SIXTH ARMY REGROUPED IN PREPARA- TION FOR AN INVASION OF JAPAN.
WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE SEVENTH AND THIRTEENTH AIR FORCES THE EIGHTH ARMY AND THE SEVENTH FLEET HAD ALREADY EMBARKED ON A SERIES OF AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS TO FREE THE OTHER ISLANDS. DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH THEY SECURED AIRFIELDS IN PALAWAN AND ZAMBO- ANGA AND OVERPOWERED THE ENEMY IN THE VISAYAN SEA AREA. IN APRIL THEY LANDED UNITS ON THE SOUTH- ERN COAST OF MINDANAO AND AD- VANCED TOWARD DAVAO GULF; OTHERS FOLLOWED AND FOUGHT THEIR WAY NORTHWARD TO MEET ADDITIONAL FORCES WHICH LANDED IN MAY. BY THE END OF JUNE, AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND FILIPINO GUERRILLAS HAD COM- PRESSED THE ENEMY INTO ISOLATED MOUNTAIN AREAS. THERE HE WAS SUBJECTED TO INTENSIVE AERIAL BOM- BARDMENT AND TO CONSTANT PRES- SURE UNTIL 15 AUGUST 1945 WHEN HOSTILITIES CEASED.
Iwo JIMA 16 FEBRUARY-16 MARCH 1945
BEFORE THE CAPTURE OF THE MARI- ANA ISLANDS HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN AUGUST 1944, AIRFIELDS WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. FROM THESE, IN NO- VEMBER, THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES BEGAN MASSIVE AIR ASSAULTS AGAINST THE JAPANESE HOMELAND.
THE PROMPT SEIZURE OF THE ISLAND OF IWO JIMA BECAME OF VITAL IMPOR- TANCE BECAUSE IT COULD PROVIDE THE ONLY EMERGENCY LANDING FIELD FOR
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RETURNING AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESS AS WELL AS A BASE FOR FIGHTER ESCORTS.
SENSING THE PERIL TO THEIR EMPIRE THE JAPANESE CONCENTRATED THEIR EFFORTS ON MAKING IWO JIMA IMPREG- NABLE, GARRISONING THIS FORTIFIED ISLAND OF ABOUT SEVEN SQUARE MILES WITH MORE THAN 20,000 TROOPS IN CAREFULLY PREPARED DEFENSIVE POSI- TIONS. AGAINST THESE, FOR SEVEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT, THE U.S. SEVENTH AIR FORCE AS WELL AS FAST CARRIER AIRCRAFT SQUADRONS AND NAVAL SURFACE SHIPS DIRECTED BOMBARDMENTS OF INCREAS- ING FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY.
ON 16 FEBRUARY 1945, UNITS OF THE FIFTH FLEET BEGAN A CONCEN- TRATED GUNFIRE AND AERIAL BOMBARD- MENT OF IWO JIMA WHILE THE FAST CARRIERS, IN A COVERING ACTION, STRUCK AT TARGETS IN JAPAN, THEN RETURNED THREE DAYS LATER TO JOIN IN THE ATTACK. ON THE MORNING OF 19 FEBRUARY, UNDER COVER OF A HEAVY BOMBARDMENT, THE FIFTH FLEET LANDED THE 4TH AND 5TH MA- RINE DIVISIONS ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE ISLAND. THE ENEMY REACTED VIOLENTLY, POURING CON- CENTRATED FIRE FROM PREVIOUSLY UNDETECTED POSITIONS. AS THE MA- RINES ADVANCED ACROSS OPEN GROUND THEY WERE RAKED BY HEAVY FIRE FROM THE HIGH GROUND ON THE FLANKS. THE 4TH MARINE DIVISION ON THE RIGHT SUFFERED SEVERE CAS- UALTIES AND THE ESCORT CARRIER BIS- MARCK SEA WAS SUNK OFFSHORE BY ENEMY AIR ATTACK.
BY THE END OF THE DAY THE MA- RINES HAD FOUGHT THEIR WAY ACROSS THE ISLAND AND HAD ISOLATED THE JAPANESE ON MOUNT SURIBACHI FROM THE MAIN FORCES IN THE NORTH. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY OUR TROOPS CAP- TURED AIRFIELD NO. 1. THE 3D MA- RINE DIVISION LANDED ON THE THIRD DAY.
AIRFIELD NO. 2 WAS REACHED ON 23 FEBRUARY. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE 5TH DIVISION STORMED THE STEEP SLOPES OF MOUNT SURIBACHI, CAP- TURING THE SUMMIT. AN ASSAULT
UP TO THE MOTOYAMA PLATEAU BROUGHT THE MARINES DIRECTLY INTO THE FACE OF THE HEAVIEST ENEMY DEFENSES. THEN AS THE 4TH DIVI- SION ATTACKED ON THE RIGHT AND THE 5TH DIVISION ON THE LEFT, THE 3D DIVISION IN THE CENTER CRACKED THE MAIN LINE OF JAPANESE RESIST- ANCE.
FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS MORE, WITH CONTINUOUS SUPPORT BY SEVENTH AIR FORCE AND CARRIER AIR- CRAFT AND NAVAL GUNFIRE, THE MA- RINES PRESSED FORWARD AGAINST A DETERMINED RESISTANCE CONDUCTED BY A WELL-TRAINED, WELL-EQUIPPED ENEMY, FIGHTING FROM THOUSANDS OF DEFENSIVE INSTALLATIONS AND DEEP CAVES. DESPITE HEAVY AND CON- TINUOUS LOSSES THE MARINES MAIN- TAINED THEIR DRIVE UNTIL FINALLY, AFTER 26 DAYS OF BITTER ASSAULT, THE ISLAND WAS SECURED.
THE SEIZURE OF IWO JIMA ENTAILED HEAVY AMERICAN CASUALTIES BUT, EVEN BEFORE THE CAPTURE OF THE ISLAND HAD BEEN COMPLETED, ITS GREAT IMPORTANCE AS AN AIR BASE WAS DEMONSTRATED. THE BOMBARDMENT OF JAPAN WAS INTENSIFIED, COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS WAS INCREASED; UN- DOUBTEDLY THE NUMBER OF AMERI- CANS WHOSE LIVES WERE SAVED BY THE OPERATION OF THIS AIR BASE EX- CEEDED THE NUMBER LOST IN ITS CAP- TURE.
OKINAWA 26 MARCH-22 JUNE 1945
EARLY IN 1945 THE GREAT CONCEN- TRATION OF U.S. SEA, LAND, AND AIR POWER IN THE PACIFIC ENABLED OUR FORCES TO CHALLENGE JAPAN IN HER OWN WATERS. FOR MONTHS AIRCRAFT FROM THE NAVY'S FAST CARRIERS, AND ARMY AIR FORCE BOMBERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA AND THE MARIANAS, HAD BOMBED THE IMPOR- TANT BASES IN
THE RYUKYUS. OTHERS IN JAPAN AND FORMOSA WERE ALSO ATTACKED PRIOR TO THE INVASION. THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT WAS INITIATED WHEN A DIVISION OF THE TENTH ARMY LANDED ON KERAMA
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MARCH. RETTO ON 26 FIVE DAYS LATER TROOPS LANDED ON THE KEISE ISLETS AND EMPLACED ARTILLERY TO COVER THE LANDING ON THE MAIN ISLAND.
ON 1 APRIL, UNDER COVER OF AN IN- TENSIVE NAVAL AND AIR BOMBARDMENT BY THE U.S. FIFTH FLEET, TWO DIVI- SIONS OF THE U.S. ARMY XXIV CORPS AND TWO DIVISIONS OF THE MARINE III AMPHIBIOUS CORPS LANDED ON OKI- NAWA ITSELF. THE TWO CORPS, AT- TACKING ABREAST, PUSHED RAPIDLY ACROSS THE ISLAND, THUS SPLITTING THE JAPANESE FORCES. THE III AM- PHIBIOUS CORPS THEN TURNED NORTH, WHILE THE XXIV CORPS TURNED SOUTH TO ATTACK THE JAPANESE MAIN DEFEN- SIVE POSITIONS. THERE FOLLOWED A DESPERATE THREE MONTHS STRUGGLE ON LAND, ON SEA, AND IN THE AIR.
TO INSURE EARLY WARNING OF THE EXPECTED AIR REACTION FROM ENEMY BASES IN JAPAN, CHINA AND FORMOSA, THE FIFTH FLEET ESTABLISHED A RING OF RADAR PICKET DESTROYERS AND ESCORT VESSELS AROUND OKINAWA. ALTHOUGH SUSTAINING HEAVY LOSSES, THE PICKET SHIPS AND OTHER FIRE- SUPPORT SHIPS FOUGHT OFF INCES- SANT AND DESPERATE ATTACKS BY JAPANESE LAND-BASED KAMIKAZE AIR- PLANES. MEANWHILE, AIRCRAFT FROM THE U.S. FAST CARRIERS AND ARMY AIR FORCE BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS FROM THE MARIANAS AND THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC STRUCK HEAVY BLOWS AT ENEMY AIRFIELDS. ON THE NIGHT OF 6-7 APRIL, THE ENEMY SURFACE FLEET MADE ITS LAST SORTIE FROM ITS HOME WATERS. U.S. CARRIER AIRCRAFT AT- TACKED THIS FORCE SINKING A BATTLE- SHIP, A CRUISER AND FOUR DESTROY- ERS. COMMENCING ON 9 APRIL LAND- BASED AIRCRAFT OF THE U.S. MARINES AND THE ARMY AIR FORCES AUGMENTED THE CARRIER-BASED AIRCRAFT, AND TO- GETHER WITH SHIP ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE, ULTIMATELY CHECKED THE KAMI- KAZES. THE SEIZURE OF IE SHIMA AFTER FOUR DAYS OF BITTER FIGHTING PROVIDED THE SITE FOR AN EXCELLENT AIR BASE WHICH FURTHER STRENGTH- ENED OUR AIR DEFENSE.
THE MARINE DIVISIONS, WHICH HAD CLEARED THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE ISLAND, JOINED IN THE BATTLE TO THE SOUTH. NAVAL GUNFIRE, MASSED AR- TILLERY AND MORTAR FIRE, AND CON- TINUOUS STRIKES BY TACTICAL AIR- CRAFT SUPPORTED THE ADVANCE OF THESE AND THE ARMY DIVISIONS AS THEY PUSHED SOUTHWARD AGAINST FANATICAL RESISTANCE AND FURIOUS COUNTERATTACKS. THE HIGH GROUND HELD BY THE JAPANESE IN SOUTHERN OKINAWA WAS IDEAL FOR A PROLONGED DEFENSE. THE LIMESTONE HILLS, HONEYCOMBED WITH NATURAL CAVES, AFFORDED EVERY ADVANTAGE OF TER- RAIN. EACH SUCCESSIVE ENEMY STRONGPOINT WAS CLEARED ONLY BY PERSISTENT AND HEROIC EFFORT. BY THE MIDDLE OF JUNE OUR GROUND FORCES HAD BATTERED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE FORTIFIED NAHA-SHURI LINE. BY 22 JUNE 1945, THE LAST OR- GANIZED UNIT OF THE JAPANESE GAR- RISON HAD BEEN DESTROYED. OKI- NAWA THEN BECAME THE FIRST AMERI- CAN STRATEGIC BASE WITHIN EASY AIR RANGE OF THE JAPANESE HOMELAND.
OPERATIONS AGAINST THE NORTH KOREANS # 25 JUNE-23 NOVEMBER 1950
ON 25 JUNE 1950 THE NORTH KO- REAN ARMY INVADED THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA. THE UNITED NATIONS DE- MAND FOR THE CESSATION OF HOSTILI- TIES BEING IGNORED, UNITED STATES AIR AND SEA FORCES WERE SENT TO GIVE THE SOUTH KOREAN ARMY COVER AND SUPPORT AND TO PROVIDE AERIAL AND SEA EVACUATION. ON 30 JUNE, THE PRESIDENT AUTHORIZED THE USE OF AMERICAN GROUND TROOPS.
THE FAR EAST AIR FORCES PROMPTLY NULLIFIED AIR OPPOSITION WHILE NAVAL FORCES NEUTRALIZED THE NORTH KOREAN NAVY, MET THE SE- RIOUS ENEMY MINE THREAT AND ES- TABLISHED A BLOCKADE OF THE PENIN- SULA. NEVERTHELESS, NORTH KO- REAN GROUND TROOPS, WHICH HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED AND OUTGUNNED THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA FORCES, CAPTURED THE CAPITAL CITY OF SEOUL AND AD- VANCED RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD.
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ON 5 JULY ADVANCE ELEMENTS OF THE U.S. 24TH INFANTRY DIVISION FROM THE EIGHTH ARMY IN JAPAN MET THE ENEMY NEAR OSAN; THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF COSTLY DELAYING AC- TIONS. THE U.S. 25TH INFANTRY AND 1ST CAVALRY DIVISIONS ARRIVED AND WERE PROMPTLY COMMITTED.
BY 5 AUGUST THE DEFENDERS WERE COMPRESSED INTO A SMALL BEACH- HEAD AROUND PUSAN ALTHOUGH THE U.S. FIFTH AIR FORCE AND THE FAR EAST AIR FORCES HAD GREATLY ASSISTED IN SLOWING THE ENEMY'S ADVANCE BY CONTINUOUSLY BOMBING INDUSTRIAL TARGETS AND SUPPLY LINES, AND BY PROVIDING CLOSE SUPPORT. CARRIER- BASED AIRCRAFT AND NAVAL GUNFIRE WERE RENDERING EFFECTIVE INTERDIC- TION AS WELL AS GROUND SUPPORT. COMMAND OF THE SEAS MADE POSSIBLE A RAPID BUILDUP OF SUPPLIES AND REINFORCEMENTS.
THE U.S. 2D INFANTRY DIVISION AND 1ST MARINE BRIGADE LANDED ON AU- GUST 1 AND 2, FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL UNITS FROM OTHER NATIONS. ON 7 AUGUST SOLDIERS AND MARINES LAUNCHED THE FIRST SUSTAINED U.N. COUNTERATTACK IN SOUTHEAST KO- REA, STOPPING THE ENEMY DRIVE TO- WARD PUSAN. FURTHER COUNTER- ATTACKS, SUPPORTED BY AIR FORCE, MARINE CORPS AND NAVAL AIRCRAFT, AND AIDED BY NAVAL GUNFIRE, ESTAB- LISHED A FIRM PERIMETER.
ON 15 SEPTEMBER THE INITIATIVE CHANGED HANDS ; PRECEDED BY AIR AND NAVAL BOMBARDMENT THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION WAS LANDED AT INCHON IN A DARING FLANKING OPERATION. THE 7TH INFANTRY DIVISION FOLLOWED AND TOGETHER THEY PRESSED FOR- WARD TOWARD SEOUL. ON 16 SEP- TEMBER THE EIGHTH ARMY BEGAN ITS OFFENSIVE TO BREAK OUT OF THE PUSAN PERIMETER. OPPOSITION WAS STRONG AND THE FIGHTING SEVERE UNTIL THE ENEMY LINE WAS BROKEN AND RESISTANCE COLLAPSED. ON 26 SEPTEMBER ELEMENTS OF THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION MET TROOPS OF THE 7TH INFANTRY DIVISION NEAR OSAN; ON THE SAME DAY THE LIBERATION OF SEOUL WAS ANNOUNCED.
PRECEDED BY AIRCRAFT WHOSE AT- TACKS HASTENED THE DISORGANIZA- TION OF THE ENEMY, UNITED NATIONS FORCES CROSSED THE 38TH PARALLEL, THE BOUNDARY OF NORTH KOREA, WHOSE CAPITAL, PYONGYANG, THEY OCCUPIED ON 21 OCTOBER. AFTER THEIR DEFEATS THE NORTH KOREANS SHOWED LITTLE AGGRESSIVENESS AS U.N. TROOPS ADVANCED TOWARD THE YALU RIVER.
AT THIS MOMENT LARGE CHINESE UNITS ATTACKED UNITED NATIONS FORCES. IN THE WESTERN SECTOR THE EIGHTH ARMY WITHDREW TO A SHORT- ER LINE AND PREPARED FOR FURTHER OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS. IN THE EAST- ERN SECTOR U.N. FORCES CONTINUED FORWARD, REACHING A LINE WHICH EXTENDED FROM THE CHOSIN RESER- VOIR TO THE CHINESE BORDER AND CHONG JIN.
OPERATIONS AGAINST THE CHINESE INVADERS 24 NOVEMBER 1950- 27 JULY 1953
1. ON 24 NOVEMBER 1950 THE U.S. EIGHTH ARMY LAUNCHED AN OFFEN- SIVE AGAINST THE NORTH KOREANS BUT WAS ABRUPTLY THROWN BACK BY A MASSIVE ATTACK BY CHINESE COM- MUNIST FORCES WHICH HAD SECRETLY CROSSED THE YALU RIVER BORDER. THE X CORPS ADVANCE MET A SIMILAR FATE WHEN THE CHINESE CUT OFF MOST OF THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION AND FOUR ARMY BATTALIONS NEAR HAGARU AND KOTO. SURMOUNTING HEAVY ODDS, BITTERLY COLD WEATHER, AND RUGGED TERRAIN, THE MARINES AND SOLDIERS FOUGHT THEIR WAY TO HUNGNAM WHERE, TOGETHER WITH OTHER TROOPS IN NORTHEAST KOREA, THEY WERE EVACUATED BY SEA AND AIR TO SOUTH KOREA. LAND- AND CARRIER- BASED AIRCRAFT AND SUPPORTING NAVAL GROUPS PROVED INVALUABLE IN THE REDEPLOYMENT.
2. MEANWHILE THE EIGHTH ARMY WITHDREW SOUTH OF PYONGYANG, THEN TO A STRONGER DEFENSIVE POSI- TION STILL FURTHER SOUTH. ON THE LAST DAY OF DECEMBER 1950 THE ENE- MY LAUNCHED A VIGOROUS ATTACK
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ACROSS THE
38TH PARALLEL INTO SOUTH KOREA, RECAPTURING SEOUL ON 4 JANUARY 1951. THREE WEEKS LATER THE INVADERS WERE HALTED, EXCEPT FOR ONE DIVISION WHICH IN- FILTRATED ALMOST TO UISONG BEFORE BEING DRIVEN BACK. THIS MARKED THE HIGH TIDE OF THE SECOND INVA- SION OF SOUTH KOREA.
3. THE EIGHTH ARMY THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF LIMITED-OBJECTIVE AT- TACKS ; OPPOSITION WAS PARTICULARLY INTENSE SOUTH OF SEOUL AND IN THE CENTER OF THE PENINSULA. IN MARCH U.S. TROOPS CROSSED THE HAN RIVER EAST OF SEOUL, AND, OUTFLANK- ING THE CITY, FORCED ITS EVACUATION. IN THESE ATTACKS THE TROOPS WERE CONTINUOUSLY ASSISTED BY AIR AND NAVAL FORCES WHICH NOT ONLY PRO- VIDED CLOSE SUPPORT AND INTERDIC- TION, BUT ALSO PERFORMED MANY MISSIONS OF AIR SUPPLY AND EVACUA- TION. SUPPLIES POURED INTO KOREA BY SEA.
4. ON 22 APRIL 1951, THE ENEMY AGAIN ATTACKED IN FORCE BUT WAS HALTED SHORT OF SEOUL AND HONG- CHON. IN MID-MAY HE STRUCK ONCE MORE BUT BY THE 22D EXHAUSTION, SUPPLY DIFFICULTIES, AND CASUALTIES FORCED HIM TO ACCEPT FAILURE.
5. ON THE NEXT DAY U.N. TROOPS BEGAN A STEADY DRIVE NORTHWARD. SO HARD HIT WAS THE ENEMY BY EARLY JUNE THAT 10,000 CHINESE SURRENDERED IN A WEEK. ARMISTICE REPRESENTATIVES MET IN JULY BUT CONFERENCES WERE SUSPENDED IN LATE AUGUST, WHEREUPON U.N. FORCES RESUMED THE OFFENSIVE AND GAINED COMMANDING GROUND ALONG THE WHOLE FRONT. THE NEGOTIA- TIONS WERE RESUMED LATE IN OCTOBER 1951.
6. FIGHTING CONTINUED BUT THE FRONT LINES REMAINED SUBSTANTIAL- LY UNCHANGED. THE AIR WAR INTEN- SIFIED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1952 AS U.N. AIRCRAFT STRUCK AT SUPPLY CENTERS, TROOP CONCENTRATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL TARGETS WITHIN NORTH KOREA. GROUND FIGHTING WAS PAR-
TICULARLY HEAVY IN OCTOBER AND AGAIN IN THE SPRING OF 1953. AN ARMISTICE AGREEMENT WAS FINALLY SIGNED ON 27 JULY 1953, THUS BRING- ING TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION THE UNITED NATIONS DEFENSE OF THE RE- PUBLIC OF KOREA AGAINST THE COM- MUNIST INVADERS.
In the spaces between the extremi- ties of the map galleries and the ad- jacent entrances are the two sets of "Key Maps": "The War Against Germany" and "The War Against Japan." Each set consists of three maps on enameled metal, each map covering about one third of the period of our participation in World War II. By these key maps each major battle may be related to the others in time and space.
THE CHAPEL
The chapel is behind the tower and between the two galleries. The doors, at the ends of the galleries, are bronze grille-work as are the windows of the chapel and the altar rail. Into these grilles have been set colored glass "cabochons", designed by Bruce Moore; there are seven different sym- bols, most of them being repeated several times :
Doors
Liberty
.(gold, blue)
The Hero .(gold, blue)
Windows
The Hand of God . . (blue)
Liberty . (gold)
The Hero . . (gold)
The Holy Dove . (blue)
The Torch .(red)
Altar Rail
Liberty (gold)
The Lamb . (red)
The Shofar (blue)
The Hero .(gold)
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In each corner of the vestibule, and on each side of the altar is a U.S. national flag.
The southeast wall of the vestibule bears the dedicatory inscription :
"IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA x 1941-1944 ** 1950-1953".
Within the chapel the altar and steps, as well as the chapel floor, are of Verde (green) Antico marble; the wall behind the altar is of Rojo (red) Alicante marble.
The far side of the road behind the memorial skirts the base of the rim of the crater which has been planted with night-blooming Cereus (Hylocereus undatus ).
The memorial was completed in 1964.
West Coast Memorial
The West Coast Memorial is situated in the Fort Scott area of the Presidio of San Francisco, California. It stands near the junctions of Washington, Har- rison, and Lincoln Boulevards on a promontory overlooking the entrance to the Golden Gate, and is accessible by automobile or taxicab.
THE SITE
Use of the 11/2-acre site was granted to the American Battle Monuments Com- mission by the Department of Defense. It is reached by passing through the Presidio, thence via Park Boulevard and Kobbe Avenue, which leads into Harrison Avenue and the intersection of the latter with Washington Boule- vard.
ARCHITECTS
Architects for the memorial were Clark & Beuttler of San Francisco. The landscape architect was Lawrence Halprin, also of San Francisco.
GENERAL LAYOUT
From the parking area at the intersec- tion of Harrison Avenue and Washing- ton Boulevard a path leads southwest to the memorial.
The memorial consists essentially of a curved California Raymond, light
gray, granite wall. On the seaward face of this wall are engraved the names, rank, organization, and State of 412 men of our Armed Services who lost their lives in the eastern waters of the Pacific Ocean during World War II:
U.S. Army and Army Air Forces 1. 156 U.S. Navy 238
U.S. Marine Corps 7
U.S. Coast Guard 11
These men gave their lives in the service of their Country, but their re- mains have not been recovered and identified. The list includes men from every State in the Union except Ne- vada, Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii; the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are also represented.
At the north end of the memorial, surmounted by a relief sculpture panel depicting Pegasus soaring to the heavens from the sea, is the inscription : 1941-1945 % ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HER SONS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN HER SERVICE AND WHO SLEEP IN THE AMER- ICAN COASTAL WATERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN INTO THY HANDS, O LORD.
1 It will be recalled that during World War II the Air Forces still formed part of the United States Army.
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West Coast Memorial (U.S. Army Photograph)
Standing on a pedestal in front of the pylon terminating the south end of the memorial is a Mount Airy, light gray, granite figure of Columbia mourning the Dead; it is a little more than 8 feet high. The works of sculp- ture were designed by Jean DeMarco of New York City.
To blend into the natural growth of the area, the memorial is planted with Mesembryanthemum, Ceanothus, Thunberg and Monterey Pines, Mon- terey Cypress, and other plants. In the bed at the base of the memorial are Juniperus sabina.
The memorial was completed in 1960.
East Coast Memorial
LOCATION
The East Coast Memorial is situated in Battery Park near the southern tip of Manhattan Island, New York City. Automobiles may approach to a dis- tance of about 200 yards from the south side of the memorial. The South Ferry subway station is the clos- est to the area and is some 300 yards distant.
THE SITE
The site covers three-quarters of an acre at the south (New York Bay) edge of Battery Park, between the circular stone structure of Fort Clinton and the United States Coast Guard Headquar- ters at the tip of the island.
Use of the site was granted to the American Battle Monuments Commis- sion by the New York City Department of Parks.
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East Coast Memorial
ARCHITECTS
Architects for the memorial were Geh- ron & Seltzer of New York.
GENERAL LAYOUT
The memorial may be reached either by one of the paths running generally parallel with the river, or by following the promenade along the water's edge. The longitudinal axis of the memorial passes through the Statue of Liberty about two miles distant in the upper Bay.
On each side of the Court of Honor are four granite stelae, 19 feet high, of Chelmsford (Massachusetts) g r a y granite. On these eight slabs are en- graved the names, rank, organization and State of 4,596 men of our Armed Services who lost their lives in the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean during World War II:
United States Army and Army Air Forces 1 . 1,262
United States Navy 2,985 United States Marine Corps 7
United States Coast Guard 342
These men gave their lives in the service of their Country, but their re- mains have not been recovered and identified. Among them are at least four pairs of brothers. The lists in- clude men from every State in the Union except Alaska and Hawaii; the District of Columbia, the Canal Zone, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Canada are also represented.
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