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The Pivotal Amphibious Assault in WWII’s Battle of Tarawa

One of the early US military operations of World War Two, the Battle of Tarawa, took place in November 1943. This assault was part of Operation GALVANIC, an invasion of the Gilbert Islands. The Navy and Marine Corps operation on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll was coordinated with an Army assault on the Makin Atoll. The timing and coupling of the two was intended to secure Lines of Communication to Hawaii, and to eliminate Japanese garrisons to the east of the Marshall Islands. The operations also served an important stepping stones toward an even larger invasion of the central Pacific’s Japanese-occupied Marshall and Marianas island chains. These Operations were envisioned and described in War Plan Orange, one of the inter-war 'Rainbow Plans,' and often referred to as Island Hopping (towards Japan).

Japanese forces on the Tarawa Atoll were concentrated on Betio Island. The Japanese defenses were the most integrated and fierce as any the Allied Forces would encounter in WW2. The Japanese claimed "it would take a million men a hundred years to take Tarawa." On 20 November 1943, the 2nd Marine Division, spearheaded by 2d Marine Regiment in 2d Amphibious Tractor Battalion LVTs, crossed the Line of Departure in three assault waves on the heavily fortified and coral reef-protected northern lagoon side. The objective was an airfield on the thin island’s southwest corner that would bring the Marshall Islands, 550 miles westward, into the Seventh Air Force’s reconnaissance aircraft and heavy bomber range.

From the start, sustainment issues plagued the attack. Moreover, US forces had a narrow frontage in which to assault. Factor time was unforgiving as D-day for the pending Marshall Islands invasion was eight weeks out. GALVANIC could not be delayed, not even a week. Thousands of Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (Rikusentai) were dug into Betio in mutually supporting positions. However, before the Marines could take on these elite warriors, they had to breach the formidable coral reef. Enabled by Landing Vehicles Tracked (LVT), they did. When a Japanese defender saw the Marine vehicles climb and cross the coral reef, he exclaimed, "the Gods of death have come!" Indeed they had.

As aforementioned, the November 20-23 assaults were carried out by amphibious tracked landing vehicles as well as traditional landing craft like the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP). However, an unusually persistent low tide prevented conventional flat bottomed landing craft from breaching the reef line, and halted reinforcement and resupply. Instead, Infantry Marines embarked on the conventional landing craft had to disembark, crawl across the jagged coral, and wade to the beach under withering and interlocked artillery and heavy machine gun fire. Many never made it ashore and remain Missing in Action. Despite knowing the horror they faced on Betio, the Amtrac, or Alligator, Marines made multiple trips to the reef and Amphibious Shipping in circuits to ensure Infantry and supplies made it to the island. Of the 125 LVTs, or Amtracs, employed in the battle, only 19 remained at the end of the fighting on "Bloody Tarawa." It was, as Colonel Joe Alexander USMC (Ret) described in his book by the same name, 'Utmost Savagery."

The ferocity of the Japanese resistance was unprecedented at the time, and served as a wake-up call to the American public and the military top brass. 1,009 Marines were killed and 2,101 wounded in combat operations. The Japanese lost 4,690 soldiers. Only 17 were captured alive. At the same time, the battle served as a crucial test of an emerging amphibious assault doctrine that required a complex blending of sea-land logistics and firepower.

Many of the critical components of the doctrine were in place and tested during the battle. Several specialized amphibious units were arrayed, including an amphibian tractor battalion, combat engineers, shore fire control teams, and a shore party for handling cargo. A naval construction battalion, the Seabees, was also deployed, with the only significant missing component, underwater demolition teams. These underwater swimmers (ultimately Navy Seals and Marine Force Reconnaissance) would have enabled stealthily reconnaissance of the reef, beach, and surf conditions before landing.

However, many lessons were learned in the cauldron of war. For example the Marines lacked waterproof radios, and later corrected this. The Navy and Marines identified a requirement for a dedicated Naval amphibious command ship as the guns of the combatant vessels used for Command and Control knocked out the radio networks every time the ships fired. By the time of the Marshalls' campaign, smaller command vessels, AGCs, were in place. Today, amphibious doctrine identifies the requirement for Primary and Secondary Control ships during amphibious operations. The US Navy currently maintains two Amphibious Command and Control ships (LCC) that are widely relied upon by 6th and 7th Fleets. Another battle innovation was the backpack flamethrower, which was ultimately integrated into LVTs and vehicles known as "Zippo tanks” during later Pacific campaigns.

Despite the carnage, documented by Marine Combat Cameramen in the 1944 Academy Award winning Documentary, 'With the Marines at Tarawa,' it did not take a million men a hundred years to take Tarawa. 16,000 Marines took Tarawa in 3 Days. Tarawa’s seizure demonstrated the validity of American amphibious doctrine, which held that even the most heavily fortified island could be expeditiously seized.

[coljohnatkinson]

An Overview of VFW Services for Veterans

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), America’s largest combat veterans group, is a non-profit service organization committed to supporting the needs of military veterans throughout the United States. The organization’s roots began at the turn of the century when veterans of the 1898 Spanish-American War and the 1899 Philippine Insurrection began establishing local organizations to help ill and injured veterans, focusing on securing their rights and assisting with medical care. Today, VFW operates with a mission of advocating for all military veterans and ensuring that veterans receive all benefits and entitlements. VFW has established diverse programs to meet the many needs of the nation’s veterans.

One of VFW's primary focus is helping veterans understand and complete Veterans Affairs (VA) claims and separation benefits. VFW established the National Veterans Service (NVS), a team of professionals who have received comprehensive training regarding the ins and outs of the nation’s complex VA system. The NVS team consists of accredited service officers and pre-discharge representatives who work with veterans, active service military personnel, and military families. They operate to manage all bureaucratic processes so that veterans can forget about the red tape and focus on more important matters. NVS helped veterans and their families recover about $11.2 billion in 2022 alone.

In addition to VA claims and separation benefits, VFW provides qualified members with financial grants through the Unmet Needs program. The program has been designed with the understanding that veterans returning from service face numerous challenges as they transition back to civilian life, including financial obstacles. The program aims to alleviate any financial issue related to military deployment, whether it is an injury that requires medical treatment or some other challenge. Grants are awarded at up to $1,500, requiring repayments or interest. Furthermore, the VFW team forwards grant payments directly to creditors.

Mental awareness is another main area of focus for VFW staff. The organization is particularly active regarding issues of self-harm impacting the veteran community. To this end, the VFW manages dual goals of helping veterans in need and working to destigmatize the mental health conversation in America. VFW leaders have broken down mental health services into several categories, including methods for supporters to aid veterans in their local community and information about different treatment options. The VFW also manages the Veterans Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255.

Finally, the VFW manages several student veteran support services. Similar to financial aid grants, VFW scholarships are awarded as gifts and require no repayment. Scholarships are valued as high as $5,000 and are paid directly to schools to cover tuition and fees. To qualify for a VFW scholarship, individuals must have a military rank of E-5 or lower, have completed basic and follow-on training, and be able to demonstrate financial need, among other eligibility requirements.

Additional VFW financial aid is available to students. To learn more about VFW services or to make a contribution to the organization, please visit vfw.org