Operations in the Pacific

Operations in the Pacific - 1942-1945

This plaque is located within the National Memorial Cemetery and describes the World War II operations within the pacific.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

1. EXPLOITING THEIR SUCCESSFUL ATTACK UPON PEARL HARBOR ON 7 DECEMBER 1941, THE JAPANESE STRUCK AT AMERICAN, BRITISH, CHINESE AND DUTCH TERRITORIES. THE UNITED STATES, FORCED INITIALLY UPON THE DEFENSIVE, NEVERTHELESS DETERMINED TO HOLD OPEN THE LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS TO AUSTRALIA, TO AID IN ITS DEFENSE, AND TO REGAIN HER STATUS IN THE PHILIPPINES. IN MAY AND JUNE 1942 THE ENEMY WAS CHECKED AT THE BATTLES OF THE CORAL SEA AND MIDWAY AND THE BALANCE OF SEA POWER IN THE PACIFIC WAS RESTORED.
2. TO HALT THE JAPANESE ADVANCE IN THE SOLOMONS, U.S. FORCES TOOK THE OFFENSIVE, LANDING ON GUADALCANAL ON 7 AUGUST 1942. THE SUCCESSION OF HARD-FOUGHT NAVAL BATTLES AND GRIM STRUGGLES ON LAND AND IN THE AIR WHICH FOLLOWED MARKED THE TURNING POINT OF THE PACIFIC WAR. IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW GUINEA, U.S. AND AUSTRALIAN FORCES REPULSED THE JAPANESE AND STARTED ON THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES. SUPPLIES FLOWN FROM INDIA OVER THE HIMALAYAS AIDED THE CHINESE EFFORT AGAINST THE INVADERS.
3. SUBMARINES PERSISTENTLY ATTACKED JAPANESE SHIPS CARRYING OIL, RUBBER AND OTHER MATERIALS ESSENTIAL TO THE ENEMY’S INDUSTRY. RELENTLESS ASSAULT AGAINST HIS COMBAT AND MERCHANT SHIPS, FROM THE SEA AND FROM THE AIR, CONTINUED WITH EVER-INCREASING ATTRITION THROUGHOUT THE WAR.
4. TO PENETRATE THE ENEMY’S DEFENSES AND GAIN BASES FROM WHICH AIRCRAFT COULD STRIKE AT THE JAPANESE HOME ISLANDS, THE UNITED STATES IN 1943 COMMITTED ITS FORCES IN A SUCCESSION OF TRIPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS ALONG TWO MAIN AXES OF ADVANCE. ONE THRUST CONTINUED THE ATTACKS NORTHWESTWARD SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH THE SOLOMONS AND ALONG THE COAST OF NEW GUINEA; THE OTHER CROSSED THE VAST REACHES OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC VIA THE GILBERT AND MARSHALL ISLANDS, THEN THE MARIANAS (BRINGING ON THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA) AND THE PALAUS. FAR TO THE NORTH OTHER AMERICAN FORCES EXPELLED THE ENEMY FROM THE ALEUTIANS. IN BURMA ALLIED FORCES FOUGHT TO REOPEN THE OVERLAND SUPPLY ROUTE TO CHINA AND STIMULATE HER EFFORTS TO EJECT THE JAPANESE.
5. AFTER THE CAPTURE OF THE MARIANAS, BOMBERS FROM THESE ISLANDS JOINED THE ASSAULT ON JAPAN, ALREADY STARTED FROM AIRFIELDS IN CHINA, WHICH DEVELOPED INTO CONTINUAL AND VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT AIMED AT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY’S MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS.
6. THE LANDING AT LEYTE IN OCTOBER 1944 LED TO THE DECISIVE NAVAL VICTORIES AT LEYTE GULF. LANDINGS ON LUZON, IWO JIMA AND OKINAWA FOLLOWED IN RAPID SUCCESSION CARRYING AMERICAN FORCES TO THE ENEMY’S THRESHOLD. FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES COMING FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC JOINED IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF JAPAN WHILE WARSHIP SHELLED HER COASTAL STATIONS. FOLLOWING THE DEVASTATION FROM THE AIR OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SUED FOR PEACE; THE SURRENDER TERMS WERE SIGNED IN TOKYO BAY ON 2 SEPTEMBER 1945.