139 Missing WWII Marines Found on Tarawa
Marathon FL – November 24, 2008 — During the early morning hours of 20 November 1943, Marines of the 2nd Marine Division mounted and amphibious attack against the Japanese stronghold of Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands. The battle which lasted 72 hours would become infamous for the high number of casualties the Americans suffered. The sorrow was further compounded because many of the American bodies buried on the island were never recovered after the war.
[caption id="attachment_27425" align="alignnone" width="600"]Landings at Tarawa Source: – National Park Service – (National Archives, FMC- 21094[/caption]
In November 2007, the History Flight organization of Marathon, Florida and the WFI Research Group of Fall River, Massachusetts agreed to a joint, privately funded venture to locate and return the bodies of our war dead to their families. With the financial support of the VFW, The American Legion, The Baddour Foundation, private individuals and History Flight board members the joint effort was able to bring a team of professional researchers, historians and ground penetrating radar specialists together to find 139 of the 541 missing Marines from The Battle of Tarawa.