Saturday, July 13, 2013

Peleliu Island - Site of a WWII Battle

Completely unknown to me before this trip, Peleliu Island is located on the southern tip of the Palau chain of islands and it was a very bloody battle location during WWII.  Before WWI the Germans occupied Peleliu and mined phosphate there.  After WWI it was the Japanese who carried on the mining and used it as part of their supply chain in WWII.  MacArthur thought it would be a good location for the US to secure during WWII because it was on the right flank of his planned attack route to the Philippians.  Peleliu was invaded by US Marines and Army in September 1944.  What was supposed to be no more than a one week easy expulsion of the Japanese turned into an 8 week bloody battle; one of the most bloody up until that time.  If you like to read about WWII history and battles, I highly recommend you read With the Old Breed on Peleliu and Okinawa by E. B. Sledge.  I don’t really enjoy reading about war but I found this book fascinating since I knew I was going there. 

Today Peleliu is inhabited by 539 people who make their living mostly from fishing, taro production and growing fruit.  Children growing up on Peleliu can attend school locally up to junior high but have to go to boarding school in Koror, a town on another island, for high school. 
Orange Beach was one of many different beaches to be simultaneously invaded on that September day in 1944.  Almost 70 years later I am standing on that beach, water like glass inside the reef and big rhythmic breaking waves hitting the outside of the reef hundreds of yards away.  Smooth tan colored sand with many small shells under my feet and a gentle breeze that makes it comfortable to stand in the shade of a tree.  The sun is oppressive and the humidity gives my whole body a layer of sweat.  Outside the reef the sea is relatively calm with rhythmic swells and breakers.  The birds are chirping and the whole scene is very peaceful. 
As I stand there, I try to picture a line of Naval ships outside the reef, Marines in landing craft racing toward the beach and the noise of men streaming off the landing craft onto the beach with the sound of machine guns and bombs being lobbed by the Japanese.  I try to feel the adrenalin, excitement, and fear they must have felt as they waded ashore, past buddies who had already been shot, floating in the water dead.  Knowing most of these men were just kids, 19 or so, who had never been away from home before.  Of course I could never really feel what they felt and never really understand their emotions but I knew the peaceful location of today was the complete opposite of the noise and chaos of 69 years ago.  I thought about the families who lost loved ones on this beach or this island and wondered if they were ever able to see the beauty of this place.  I was sad for the loss of so many men from both sides!
The locals have started a WWII museum located in an old concrete building that was a Japanese fuel depot.  It was full of various guns and ammo that had been salvaged from the island, including some very large bombs.  The best part was all the letters written by US GIs to Japanese families returning personal items they had found on the island after its capture.  Those were the most touching to read and some were accompanied by the return letter from the Japanese family.  
Bloody Nose Ridge is the highest point of Peleliu and capturing this point was the goal.  To get there the Army and Marines had to fight their way across an island made of solid ancient coral, covered in thick tropical jungle in 90 degree heat and 95% humidity.  They wore very thick cotton uniforms with long sleeves, long pants, and very heavy thick boots plus they carried hundreds of pounds of gear and equipment.  To get to Bloody Nose Ridge we rode in a van with windows down for AC, wearing light cotton shorts, t-shirts and sandals, carrying nothing.  The road now goes a little more than half way up the 200 plus foot ridge, at the end of the road is a very nice Japanese memorial.  From there we climbed straight up over 120 wooden stairs to get to the top – it was steep, hot and humid so the climb was not easy but compared to what the GI’s had to face to get there it was a walk in park.  At the top there is an Army/Marine monument and a spectacular 360° view of the island and surrounding sea.  I wondered how the GI’s who captured that ridge saw beauty of that view.  They had been in hell for weeks, they were homesick, tired, scared, dirty, hurting, and who knows what else but did they see the beauty?  Or is the beauty lost to the trauma of the experience?  Maybe having just come through hell made it even more beautiful?  I can never know but at that moment I was grateful to God for the beauty and grateful to our service members for their service and sacrifice!

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