Good evening. Im oliver north and im at the National Museum of the pacific war hereein fredericksburg, texas. Welcome to war stories. They called it bloody tarawa. The gibraltar of the pacific. A legendary battle in world war ii that cost the lives of nearly 6,000 combatants in a scant 76 hours. How could so much blood be shed over an island the size of new yorks central park . Japanese commander bragged with weapons like this artillery piece and that tank, he could hold tarawa against a million americans for 100 years. But we proved him wrong. One survivor said that every participant became a hero in spite of himself. Gruesome images of death from this tiny issand stunned our nation and forever changed the way americans looked at the realities of war. This is the story of 12,000 courageous marines and sailors who wouldnt accept defeat in capturing this island from a determined enemy for whom surrender was an option. Summer 1943. America was waging war on two fronts. From north africa,
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As the blockade and bombardment further intensified, the stage was set for Allied amphibious landings that would finally eject Japanese troops from U.S. soil.