While the main invasion force stormed Guadalcanal, a smaller but equally critical battle unfolded on Tulagi. As Marines waded through chest-deep surf, they found themselves facing an enemy that would not surrender. Fighting through thick jungle and jagged ridgelines, they encountered machine-gun nests, sniper fire, and relentless counterattacks. The battle for Tulagi would turn the island into a brutal proving ground for the Marines.

In this episode, we dive into the tense weeks leading up to the invasion of Guadalcanal. Major General Alexander Vandegrift and his Marines prepared for an amphibious assault with little time, limited resources, and almost no intelligence on the enemy’s defenses.

From command disputes to botched rehearsals, this episode breaks down the frustrations, miscalculations, and last-minute decisions that set the stage for one of the most grueling battles of World War II.

Before Marines stormed beaches in the Pacific, they had to prove they were worth keeping around. When steamships made close-quarters ship combat obsolete, the Marine Corps was nearly scrapped. Their old mission vanished overnight. This episode tells the story of how Samoa helped save the Corps. After Pearl Harbor, Samoa looked like Japan’s next logical target. The Marines were sent to hold the island at all costs.

Marines fortified beaches, built airfields, trained a Samoan reserve battalion, and turned the island into a launch point for operations across the South Pacific. Samoa never saw major combat, but it proved Marines could build and defend forward bases anywhere in the world.

Most people don’t think of Iceland when they think about Marines in World War II. No battles, no amphibious landings, no dramatic last stands. Just a wind-battered volcanic island, frozen mud, sideways rain, and Marines pulling security in a place where the sun never set—and nothing ever happened.

This episode dives into the forgotten deployment that tested morale more than marksmanship. We’ll talk about the midnight sun landings, the endless working parties, and how Marines turned an unglamorous garrison mission into a blueprint for readiness. There were no medals for standing watch on a glacial ridge—but the small-unit leadership, the discipline, and the quiet grit these Marines showed laid the foundation for what came next in the Pacific.

This episode closes out our series on desegregation in the Marine Corps. We pick up after World War II and follow the fight for equality through Korea, Vietnam, and beyond. From Truman’s Executive Order to the violent racial clashes at Camp Lejeune, we cover the battles fought in the field and the ones fought in the barracks, promotion boards, courtrooms, and parade fields.

This episode closes out our series on desegregation in the Marine Corps. We pick up after World War II and follow the fight for equality through Korea, Vietnam, and beyond. From Truman’s Executive Order to the violent racial clashes at Camp Lejeune, we cover the battles fought in the field and the ones fought in the barracks, promotion boards, courtrooms, and parade fields.

This episode covers the evolution of the Montford Point Marines from raw recruits to battle-ready defenders. We follow the 51st Composite Defense Battalion as they reorganize, adapt, and train under tough leadership and tougher conditions. 

We’ll look at how these Marines earned their place through grit and professionalism, not just at home but across the Pacific. We’ll also explore the formation and struggles of the 52nd Defense Battalion, the Third Battle of Guam, and acts of heroism that never made headlines. 

When you trace the path of desegregation in the Marine Corps, you're looking at a journey defined by extraordinary resilience and relentless courage. From John Martin’s pioneering role in the Revolutionary War to the tragic exclusion policies enacted by Congress in 1792, this history mirrors America’s ongoing struggle with race and equality.

Today's episode takes us through centuries of barriers and breakthroughs, revealing how prejudice shaped policy, yet never extinguished the courage of those determined to serve. 

This episode covers Corregidor’s brutal last stand and its bitter aftermath. You’ll hear how Marines and their makeshift allies fought in desperate hand-to-hand combat, machine guns cutting down wave after wave of attackers, and leaders like Major Williams and Captain Castle battling to the very end. 

Field musicians firing rifles, runners dying to deliver vital messages, and platoons wiped out to the last man. You'll learn about Marines teaching sailors how to fight, cadets transformed into warriors overnight, and officers rallying exhausted troops under relentless fire.

For the 4th Marines, Corregidor was more than a battlefield; it was their crucible.

This episode tells the story of the rocky island fortress where the 4th Marines made their final stand. After surviving weeks of retreat, jungle fighting, starvation, and disease on Luzon, the Marines fell back to Corregidor alongside sailors, Philippine Army cadets, and general-duty troops. Undermanned and outgunned, they turned this small island into a last line of defense against overwhelming Japanese firepower.

We cover how the Marines trained sailors to fight like infantry, repurposed aircraft bombs into improvised mines, and held a fractured defense line with mixed units from over 50 commands. Bombed daily, under constant artillery fire, and surviving on a third of a ration, they dug in, determined to hold.

When the Japanese landed, the Marines unleashed everything they had, but it wasn't enough. The island fell—but not quietly. 

In this episode, the 4th Marines move from Olongapo to Corregidor, just as the Japanese close in on Manila. What follows is a scramble to destroy U.S. naval bases, build up beach defenses, and dig in for a siege. We'll break down the geography of Corregidor, the fractured command structure, and the brutal reality of jungle survival. As Japanese air raids intensify and supplies dwindle, Marines rely on improvisation, grit, and foxholes to hold their ground. This is the start of one of the hardest chapters in Marine Corps history—the long, slow fight for the Philippines.