[SAMWolf]

"Sprawled bodies on beach tarawa, testifying to ferocity of the stuggle for this stretch of sand." November 1943.

A Marine platoon advances at Tarawa.

Marines on the beach at Tarawa.

[johnny7]

The Marines called the atoll “Helen”. Charts of tides dating back to the 1800s.

Hawkins went in on the first wave. The man was fearless... so was Shoup, who became Marine Corps Commander.

The 2nd Marines fought the Jap Marines and many Marine companies suffered 75% casualties.

The Higgins boats couldn't make it over the reef in low-tide and the 8th waded in from hundreds of yards.

Sherrod went in early and his writing is accurate.

[VOA]

A Validation of the U.S. Marines

Great thread...
but my reaction to the title (at the instantaneous spinal level) was
"the Marines don't need no steenking validation!".