The Battle of Tarawa

I had some idea that there were some battles that took place in this area of the Pacific during WWII, but that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. Apparently Tarawa was the setting for one of the major battles that happened between the US and the Japanese – I am not quite sure if Mel Gibson has yet to make a movie about it.

I mentioned to a friend that I’ve met here at the hotel that I wanted to see the sunset at the end of the island. He offered to take me up the island and said that we could also check out a few of the war relics that were still standing while we were up there. The first place we visited was a Gun that literally is right on the north end of Tarawa. It was overrun by at least a dozen kids who I got singing the Sesame Street ‘Counting Song’ – it was pretty funny. A couple of the little guys showed me how to climb up onto the guns were I took these shots. It was obvious that this gun took a beating; there were massive shell holes through out it. I can only imagine how loud it must have been in there when that gun went off – I am told it fired 8” shells. This was initially a Japanese gun that was later lost to an American invasion.

We next went to a Japanese barracks that really weren’t too special, out side of this kid who was training on a punching bag – this place truly is random.

Finally Mark (my tour guide and friend here) showed us this other barracks, which obviously took a beating during the American invasion. I cannot even begin to visualize what it was must have been like for the Japanese soldiers sitting in there while the Americans peppered it with shells. This is the first time I have ever visited a historical battle site, and you cant help but appreciate the sacrifice of the soldiers (on both sides) who fought in these wars. It was an unimaginable sacrifice that was given so that we could live the privileged lives that we do. It was great perspective for me as that Remembrance Day was only a few days ago. What’s even more, these two countries shed a lot of blood fighting over an island in the middle of the Pacific, an island that I wasn’t aware even existed up until about a month ago.

We went to go find a Tank that is still on the western shores of the island but unfortunately the tide was in so we couldn’t see it. Maybe next time.