Strong Men Armed

1944

1 January*—Lieutenant General (later General) Alexander Vandegrift made Commandant of Marine Corps.

2 January—U.S. Army makes surprise landing at Saidor, begins drive up New Guinea coast.

(27 January—Anzio beachhead seized in Italy.)

31 January—Majuro Atoll in the Marshalls, first prewar Japanese territory, seized.

1 February—U.S. assaults Kwajalein Atoll (Marines at Roi-Namur, secured 2 February; Army at Kwajalein Islet, secured 4 February).

17 February—U.S. Army, Marines assault Eniwetok Atoll (secured 23 February).

(21 February—Russians lift Siege of Stalingrad.)

29 February—Admiralty Islands reconnaissance begins (islands captured 18 March).

6 March—Marines assault Talasea on New Britain (secured 8 March).

8 March—Japanese counteroffensive on Bougainville launched, smashed for good 24 March.

20 March—Marines land on Emirau.

22 April—U.S. Army lands at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea.

(4 June—Allies enter Rome.)

(6 June—Allies invade France in Normandy landings.)

15 June—U.S. Marines land at Saipan (island secured 9 July).

19 June—Japanese Navy decisively defeated by U.S. Navy in Battle of Philippine Sea; Japan’s carrier power all but destroyed.

21 July—U.S. Marines assault Guam (secured 10 August).

24 July—U.S. Marines on Saipan assault nearby Tinian (secured 1 August).

30 July—U.S. Army’s New Guinea drive ends on Sansapor Point.

(31 July—Allies break out of Normandy.)

(15 August—Allies invade southern France.)

15 September—U.S. Marines assault Peleliu (secured 12 October); U.S. Army troops seize Morotai.

17 September—U.S. Army assaults Angaur (secured 20 September).

23 September—Ulithi seized as advanced Naval base.

20 October—U.S. Army lands on Leyte to open Philippines Campaign.

(21 October—Aachen, first city inside Germany, falls to U.S. troops.)

23-26 October—U.S. Navy destroys remnants of Japanese Navy in Battle of Leyte Gulf.

24 November—U.S. Army Air Corps delivers first B-29 raid on Tokyo.

(16 December—German counterstroke opens Battle of the Bulge, Germans stopped 30 December.) 

1945

9 January—Luzon in Northern Philippines invaded.

(17 January—Russians capture Warsaw.)

16-17 February—First U.S. carrier raids on Tokyo Bay.

19 February—Marines assault Iwo Jima (secure 26 March).

24 February—Manila falls.

(7 March—U.S. troops take Remagen Bridge and cross Rhine.)

10 March—Mindanao in Southern Philippines invaded.

9-10 March—U.S. B-29s fire-bomb Tokyo at night in most savage air raid in history (including later atomic bombings).

1 April—U.S. Marines, Army troops land on Okinawa (island secured 22 June).

(28 April—Mussolini put to death by Italian partisans.)

1 May—Australians invade Tarakan Island, Netherlands Indies (secured 19 May).

(1 May—Death of Hitler.)

(2 May—Fighting in Italy ends.)

(7 May—Germany surrenders.)

10 June—Australians and Dutch land on Borneo.

22 June—Okinawa capture marks end of ground fighting in Pacific.

14 July—U.S. begins first surface fleet bombardment of Japan.

30 July—Japan refuses Potsdam ultimatum.

6 August—World’s first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

8 August—Russia attacks Japan.

9 August—Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

14 August—Japan accepts surrender terms.

2 September—Japanese surrender signed in Tokyo Bay.

MARINE MEDAL OF HONOR WINNERS IN WORLD WAR TWO

MARINE CORPS ACES IN WORLD WAR TWO

NO. | NAME | NUMBER OF PLANES SHOT DOWN

1. Boyington, Gregory 28*

2. Foss, Joseph J. 26

3. Hanson, Robert M. 25

4. Walsh, Kenneth A. 21

5. Aldrich, Donald N. 20

6. Smith, John L. 19

7. Carl, Marison E. 18?

8. Thomas, Wilbur J. 18?

9. Sweet, James E. 15?

10. Spears, Harold L. 15

11. Donabue, Archies G. 14

12. Cupp, James N. 13

13. Galer, Robert E. 13

14. Marontate, William P. 13

15. Shaw, Edward O. 13

16. Frazier, Kenneth D. 12?

17. Everton, Loren D. 12

18. Segal, Harold E. 12

19. Trowbridge, Eugene A. 12

20. DeLong, Philip C. 11?

21. Bauer, Harold W. 11