Submitted by Jason McDonald on Sun, 2014-07-27 01:03
Tarawa Atoll is a series of small islands in the Gilberts. The major Japanese outposts were on Betio, a bird-shaped island in the southern part of the chain; and Makin, which was raided early in 1942 by US Marines. Nine leathernecks who were mistakenly left behind were executed, but the raid was considered a success, especially by a victory-starved American public.