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Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was, and still is, the most important American naval base in the Pacific. This unprovoked attack brought the United States into World War II, as it immediately declared war on Japan. -
Bataan Death March
The Japanese forced 76,000 captured Allied soldiers to march about 80 miles across the Bataan Peninsula. The prisoners of war were forced to march through tropical conditions, enduring heat, humidity, and rain without adequate medical care. -
Doolittle's Raid
Although just causing minor damage, the Doolittle Raid forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, and raised fears among the Japanese civilians. Which boosted morale among Americans and our Allies abroad. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a critical US victory. The battle stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire. -
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal marked the decisive Allied transition from defensive to offensive operations. Leading to operations such as the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Central Pacific campaigns that eventually resulted in Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. -
Leyte
The battles of Leyte Gulf destroyed the Imperial Japanese Navy as an offensive force and decisively led to the defeat of Japan in 1945. The battles signify the defeat of Japanese rule in the Philippines, and so can be seen as an important link in the global victory over the fascist axis. -
Iwo Jima
The US took the island of Iwo Jima in battle. Taking the island meant the U.S. could launch bombing runs from Iwo Jima's strategic airfields. Soldiers raised the American flag on the island, signifying the site of one of the bloodiest, most famous battles of World War II against Japan. -
Okinawa
Taking Okinawa would provide Allied forces an airbase from which bombers could strike Japan and an advanced anchorage for Allied fleets. From Okinawa, US forces could increase air strikes against Japan and blockade important logistical routes, denying the home islands of vital commodities. -
Hiroshima & Nagasaki Bombings
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the first use of atomic weapons in war. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the initial explosions, and many more later succumbed to burns, injuries, and radiation poisoning. One day after the bombing of Nagasaki, the Japanese government issued a statement agreeing to accept the Allied surrender terms. -
Surrender of Japan
Japanese surrender meant an end to World War 2, a war that Americans thought would go on indefinitely. After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the United States led the Allies in the occupation and rehabilitation of the Japanese state