WWII E144 All Hands on Deck: Marines in Every Job Step Forward

Written By Robert Estrada

After weeks of brutal combat, relentless bombardment, and fierce resistance, the Japanese momentum on Guam finally collapsed. In this episode, we explore how a seemingly unstoppable Japanese counterattack quickly unraveled, leaving scattered, leaderless troops desperately hiding in caves and jungle ravines. 

Cooks, clerks, and engineers stepped boldly into the breach. Ahead lay brutal struggles for Orote Peninsula, the strategic town of Sumay, and vital airfields that symbolized Guam's liberation. 

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  • References

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  • Crowl, P. A. (1960). Campaign in the Marianas. U.S. Army Center of Military History.

  • Department of Defense. (n.d.). Battles of Guam: From defeat to victory. Defense.gov. https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/article/1946563/battles-of-guam-from-defeat-to-victory/

  • Isely, J. A., & Crowl, P. A. (1951). The U.S. Marines and amphibious war: Its theory and its practice in the Pacific. Princeton University Press.

  • Krulak, V. H. (1984). First to fight: An inside view of the U.S. Marine Corps. Naval Institute Press.

  • Marine Corps University Archives. (n.d.). Campaign collections: Saipan, Tinian, and Guam (Mariana Islands). USMCU.edu. https://grc-usmcu.libguides.com/c.php?g=806488&p=6068272

  • Morison, S. E. (1976). The two-ocean war: A short history of the United States Navy in the Second World War. Little, Brown and Company.

  • Naval History and Heritage Command. (n.d.). Operation Forager continued: Landings on Guam and Tinian. History.navy.mil. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/guam-tinian.html

  • O'Brien, C. J. (1994). Liberation: Marines in the recapture of Guam. Historical Division, U.S. Marine Corps.

  • Shaw, H. I., Nalty, B. C., & Turnbladh, E. T. (1966). Central Pacific drive: History of U.S. Marine Corps operations in World War II, Volume III. Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

  • Stockman, J. R., & Carleton, P. D. (n.d.). Campaign for the Marianas: Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam. Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

     

     


Robert Estrada
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WWII E143 Into the Devil’s Horns: Marines Assault Guam