Code Talker

Ned’s division is supposed to land on Guam, but some of the force is diverted to assist on Saipan. Ned ends up on Eniwetok island, east of Guam, to wait. The delay benefits Ned’s unit, as the Navy spends two weeks shelling coastal defenses on Guam and wiping out Japanese planes as well.

Guam is an important strategic victory. Ned read about the island’s history in high school. It was controlled by the United States until the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when it was taken by the Japanese. Chamorros, the US citizens of Guam, were tortured and killed by the Japanese, or interned in camps if they were defiant. Ned reflects that he has a hard time sympathizing with the Japanese because of their cruel treatment to the indigenous peoples they encountered.

Led by Major General Turnage, Ned’s division lands south of where the Japanese expect them to. This is a tougher landing spot but it’s strategically favorable. When Ned lands on the beach, he doesn’t have the enormous TBX radio to cover him or weigh him down, so he sprints inland. The Marines then face a 200-foot cliff, which they must scale while under enemy fire.

There’s a heavy Japanese presence on Guam.