One of my assistants at work once said, “when you’re talking to Doug, you never know when a history lesson is going to break out.” Absolutely true. Today my attention drifted to the Battle of Guadalcanal. I know some people can quote you chapter and verse of the ins and outs of any WWII military campaign. I’m not one of those people.
But, my understanding is that the Battle of Guadalcanal was one of the nastiest pieces of work of the War; particularly for the marines involved in taking the beaches. It was the first major assault by the U.S. on Japan and marked a turning point in the war. Strategically, taking the area was important to disrupt Japan’s ability to threaten supply routes between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. It was also useful as a base of operations for the U.S.
My favorite fictional account of the battle was in Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon where marine, Bobby Shaftoe, ends up half-crazed and raving about a giant lizard and bad-mouthing MacArthur (eventually to Ronald Reagan whose service consisted of making public relations productions.)
In any event, the horrors of Guadalcanal seem grueling well beyond the normal challenges of war.
Nitpick alert!
Guadalcanal was easy during the assault. It was afterwards when the Japanese decided to try and keep the island, when it got downright terrible. Mainly because the naval exchanges made resupply a dicey affair for both sides.
You are correct about the strategic importance and the importance of an airbase on the island. The campaign was a costly affair, but it ended the impression (of the Americans) about Japanese “invincibility”.
You might be thinking of Tarawa. Nasty business, that. Worst part was that it wasn’t even necessary. Or, maybe New Guinea. That was also a very nasty campaign conducted by the Australians and a US National Guard division. Ended any worries about the federalized National Guard, but at what a cost.