marine history

Introduction
The fight for Guadalcanal, code-named Watchtower, was the first offensive of the Pacific theater, thus it was subject to many hard lessons, the brunt of which was borne by the 1st Division of the United States Marine Corps and the others that landed in the initial months. Great efficiency was shown by U.S.M.C. Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift and the Marines under his command. The role of the U.S. Marines in the Guadalcanal campaign was to establish a U.S. base of operations and defend it from Japanese assault in the first months of the “island-hopping” campaign. Efficiency and perseverance of the Marines under Vandegrift were demonstrated through: the seizure of Japanese outposts at Guadalcanal and Tulagi; the rebuttal of every major Japanese counteroffensive through better strategic and tactical employ of units; recognition of the importance of the “Cactus” air force on Henderson Field; the resourcefulness of utilizing the Japanese supplies in ...