208: The Pacific War, 1942–43: Guadalcanal, the Aleutians, and Operation Vengeance

2026-07-13

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“Guadalcanal is not the name of an island. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese army.”This is the story of America's first major offensive in the Pacific since Midway.Amid hard fighting among the frozen peaks of Attu at the tail end of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Americans are gaining ground. But the cost is steep. Carrying out banzai charges, Japanese soldiers are prepared to fight to the last man. This is the case in the Solomon Islands as well, where US Marines—or "Uncle Sam's Miserable Children," as th...

“Guadalcanal is not the name of an island. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese army.”

This is the story of America's first major offensive in the Pacific since Midway.

Amid hard fighting among the frozen peaks of Attu at the tail end of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Americans are gaining ground. But the cost is steep. Carrying out banzai charges, Japanese soldiers are prepared to fight to the last man. This is the case in the Solomon Islands as well, where US Marines—or "Uncle Sam's Miserable Children," as they call themselves—are storming the beaches of Guadalcanal. The island is only barely held, largely thanks to the almost unbelievable bravery of Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant John Basilone.

Meanwhile, American codebreakers have obtained Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku's flight plans. The man who surprised America at Pearl Harbor is about to get a surprise of his own.

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