20 November 1943 - Tarawa 2d Marine Division launches an amphibious assault against Betio Island in Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands. Only the use of amphibian tractors allows the leading waves to get through the shallow water covering the coral shelf around the island. The Marines establish a beachhead at great cost. This marks the kick-off of the Central Pacific Campaign. Find out more about the amphibious assault of Tarawa in our WWII Gallery: http://www.usmcmuseum.com/wwii.html #OTD #TDIH #WWII

#OTD in 1943, #Marines with 2d Marine Division landed on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, in the Gilbert Islands. For the next 76 hours, Marines battled against intense Japanese resistance to secure the island and gain control of the critical airfield. The initial landings were especially challenging, as low tides beached many landing craft on an offshore reef, forcing Marines to wade hundreds of yards in the open water under intense enemy fire. Despite fierce resistance and heavy casualties, by the

How the US Won the Battle of Tarawa

Service members assigned to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) travel to Tarawa Atoll, Kiribati to repatriate Marines lost during the battle of Tarawa, Feb. 10, 2017. History Flight, a non profit organization dedicated to finding and recovering Americas missing, recovered remains associated with the battle of Tarawa and were unilaterally transferred to DPAA for further analysis. The mission of DPAA is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their familie