eight-inch Vickers guns on each end of the island (bottom) were purchased from Great britain during the
russo-japanese War in 1905. this Vickers gun (below) is in remarkable condition after 65 years.
Tarawa was an island of concen-
trated death in its most violent, brutal,
and merciless form. Many of the dead were
swept out to sea, while others had to be bur-
ied in mass graves because of the extreme
heat, as Navy chaplains valiantly tried to
identify them. americans have not forgot-
ten that the remains of 564 servicemembers
have not come home. the Defense authori-
zation act signed by the president in october
calls for DoD to “undertake all feasible ef-
forts to recover, identify, and return” the re-
mains of servicemembers killed in the battle
of tarawa. even before passage of the bill, a
team of investigators visited the island.
60 Military officer January 2007 photos: aboVe, UsmC; to p, maj. Dale robinson, UsmC-ret.
Dec_tarawa.indd 60 11/4/09 3:17 PM
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