UNCOMMON VALOR

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] over the lonely way the silent ones on the shifting sand the story written by forbidden feet in the nomadic sky solitary wing and the lens that spies and probes in the jungle depth the enemy thirty six thousand strong in our hands shreds for evaluation unrelated items for conjecture implements of formulation trivia times mass squared equals victory on Bougainville we are gathering intelligence drawing the death plan for an island here is your host general Holland M Smith former commanding general Fleet Marine Force Pacific area the United States Marine Corps general Smith was it possible to bypass the island of Bougainville no Bougainville could not be bypassed in May of 1943 our growing air and naval strength forced the Imperial Japanese High Command to reevaluate its strategy our initial successes at Guadalcanal Tuilagi and new George's in the southern Solomon parted our intent to fight our way up the inland route - New Guinea Denari Arras Philippines and into the so called home islands of Hiva Jima and Okinawa as Arkana merger they elected to maintain a defense lines stretching from the Aleutians to wait the Marshalls Gilbert's ocean Nauru and the Bismarck to hold this perimeter they assigned the combined fleet for mobile defense with orders to engage on site any and all American land sea and air units and since the southern key strong point in this defense system was ribald we had to bomb it [Music] for the Japanese disposition of their airfield enable them to intercept our plane and deflect our fortune because of its that chief location there was never any doubt that we could fight the Japanese for the island iboga fee it was inevitable [Music] for 18 months the Japanese have built and fortified for 18 months we have struggled for a foothold now the Russell's southern Solomon's and parts of New Guinea lie behind us in our possession from our forward faces American bombers armed for a strike at the ball [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] warned by observers the Japanese clear their fields send a massive Armada to intercept [Applause] [Music] without fighter planes of our own and with a sky full of angry led it is inevitable some of our planes are shot down [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] when history has repeated itself but once again we are free Disgaea had blossoms with still more greeters this time from bonus and Booga air appeals on northern bogan field those who get through are consoled by the knowledge that the planes from only six more fields for a Popo to berra rana canal lagoon ion New Britain and na mattaniah and for Pope on to Ireland stand between us in our target a bowel [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] such a situation was intolerable we had to neutralize and capture those a thief we had to turn him against the enemy and that meant we had to go in and take them the hard way by amphibious assault much before the battle at Guadalcanal the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pacific for planning the battle for rebels or which Bougainville was apart south of the island lie the shortened logical attack point for invasion but to pose the entrenched enemy would mean a great loss of lives equipment and reserve strength in his strength by the thousands was concentrated around the airfield where then could we strike secure foothold still an airfield and begin chose L Island south and east of Bougainville logical and therefore to be expected by the enemy furthermore it will delay the entire suliman's campaign moreover from choice L our fighter planes do not have the range to protect our bombers to Rabaul and return re-evaluation seize and hold the Treasury islands northern emphasis to pay and construct airfields their seasonal shores L Bay Area install radar staging and PT points there an objection aerial reconnaissance reveals that hooker is beyond fighter bomber escort range Kahili is within range but is too strongly defended it would cost more lives to take it than its strategic worth the shortland have narrow beaches completely unsuitable for a landing under heavy resistance further objection any approach to invasion on the East Coast will lengthen and delay expose our inadequate surface tonnage to greater possibility of attack and remove it from retreat to friendly air cover in case of naval action with the Japanese 8th fleet the final analysis read tactical and logistical considerations fixed emphasis Augusta Bay on the west coast of Bougainville as our final objective [Music] intelligence units go into operation on a scale heretofore impossible ground units will be transported by a submarine to suitable landing points on mono and Sterling island in the Treasury Group [Music] others will proceed by PT boat to chose L Island but why it chose L if no landing is contemplated there good ol American polka if the Japanese find evidence of our presence they will misinterpret our intentions we will use choice L as a freight to deliver the knockout blow l swam prime patrols will Scout bogan be observing and mapping the terrain Japanese installation strength connecting trails and general ground conditions in the Akita and numa numa areas sea planes are used offshore naval party found and mapped the coastline death average rise and fall with the tithe submerged reef obstacles and beach depth [Music] for a period of several weeks marine Navy and Army personnel Rome photographed scout spy upon and elude an enemy who boasts of his superiority [Music] portal recon planes roam the length and breadth of the Salomon group trails rivers mountains enemy emplacements all are photographed this open space is unsuitable for an airfield because the mountains that either end make it hazardous but this area is completely suitable and can be bulldozed plane filled graded surfaced and in operation within 30 days as the information is digested at Guadalcanal certain facts become fault and certain faults become fact if coastlines are as much as 10 miles removed from their location on existing map waters chartered is safe actually hide the shallow presence of dangerous reef shoals and Peaks the night landings under contemplation have to be abandoned we will assault in daylight so the ships will not run afoul of these obstructions aerial photographs show no troop movements toward the Empress Augusta Bay Area all enemy activity is centered near his airfield in anticipation of an all-out frontal assault he is not expecting attack on the East Coast he has not guessed our intention then in October 1943 coast watchers get the word through their our anti-aircraft emplacements and slit trenches being constructed in the Empress Augusta Bay area from a submarine wheel and another patrol [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] their scouting report is reassuring routine installations and no concentration of troops in the scheduled landing area [Music] the war plans go on accordingly we were short on transports for aks and eight APA this means the troops will have to go ashore in smaller echelon can we risk them will enemy strength be sufficient to overwhelm our initial waves no intelligence supports our reevaluated Turakina points geographic location dictate to use of localized units in small detachments can the enemy bring up his reserves in time to destroy our initial beachhead no existing trails inadequate and no military role exists for rapidly enforcement can they reinforce from the scene no our air cover will obviate that possibility can their fleet reach us in time to jeopardize the operation no it is in rebel ten hours away relations will be held in the New Hebrides Islands at a forty and will continue until the assault and unloading can be accomplished within six hours allowing four hours for the safe withdrawal of our craft Army Navy and Marine air squadrons will converge from all existing bases within range of the operation and will be scheduled to give constant maximum protection against anticipated enemy strikes to inactivate a maximum number of enemy planes bombing missions will be scheduled in advance of d-day to destroy both grounded aircraft and runways [Music] on d-day naval units will concentrate their fire upon the extended landing areas and strong points high level bombing missions will be flown closely followed by low-level strikes and straighten [Applause] the task forces will punish cover for the amphibious landing as diversionary measures to screen our real intent the combining air forces will seek out and engage all Japanese naval units within the area and a bombing mission will be sent over above [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] further confuse and annoy we will launch a secondary assault at choice Earl this will draw his attention to the south and prevent his reinforcing the Bougainville area from his southern forces test unit a one third Marine Division reinforced organized into four landing teams embarks October 13 from to Terry Guadalcanal cargo for each team 520 ton from 16 to 20th October they engage in rehearsal maps of their objective or study enemy strongpoints located and methods evolved for neutralizing them when each man in each squad in each platoon in each company knows his part in the operation they go ashore and put into practice what they have absorbed in theory - unit a to 9th Marines reinforced stages their rehearsal 18 to 25 October and tats unit a 3/3 defense battalion conducts its operations at Guadalcanal 26 29 October [Applause] [Music] [Applause] all units of the attack force rendezvous 84 miles west of Guadalcanal at Oh 7:40 31 October 8 months of planning evaluating gathering intelligence men supplies and material are over the Admirals the generals the strategists of commander finished with their sweat they have planned battle with the unceasing diligence of their skepticism they have refined it improved it reduced its flaws to the lowest possible minimum from compassion they have chosen the course which offers the greatest possible chance of survival to their comrades the officers and men of the Marine Corps who serve under them [Music] from necessity they have accepted inadequate seniors of war by placement and superior utilization they have multiplied their strength a hundredfold before the Almighty God who has been and is and must ever be the mainstay of our free nation they bow their heads thankful for whatever portion he has inspired in their final planned for victory [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music]