THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE OF WW2
HOW COULD WE FORGET?
THE BLOODY BATTLE OF PELELIU . . . WHO HAS EVEN HEARD OF IT?
Some have called the Battle of Peleliu Island the “Forgotten Battle” and the “Unnecessary Hell of the Pacific” because they felt this little island just six miles long and two miles wide could have been completely ignored and bypassed in our struggle against the Empire of Japan. Everyone knows about the other great battles of the Pacific . . . Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Guadalcanal . . . but who has ever heard of the Battle of Peleliu?
The Island of Peleliu is just 500 miles from the Philippines and was the site of a Japanese airfield that the American forces wanted to take or neutralize before continuing their campaign toward Japan. The strategic value of that little island is not ours to question 70+ years later, but the fact is, the Marines were called upon to take the island, and they responded like the Marine Corps always does despite the cost . . . and the cost was very high.
Awaiting the Marine amphibious landing force were nearly 11,000 Japanese troops including units from the never-defeated Manchurian Imperial Guards. The Japanese were “dug in” and had created an incredible system of caves and machine gun bunkers all interconnected with tunnels. They were in strategic, fortified, and hidden positions to shoot down upon our Marines as they waded ashore and hit the beach.
Peleliu is a volcanic island, and the soil was so shallow that the Marines couldn’t dig fox holes for protection so they were open targets for snipers and enemy machine guns. The soil was also so shallow that we couldn’t even bury our dead.
So who has heard of Peleliu and remembers the terrible struggle there? Any living survivors of the 28,000 young Marines who stormed ashore under terrible enemy fire remember . . . and the loved ones of those survivors and those who perished . . . they all remember and will never forget. Neither should we.
Of those 28,000 mostly teen-age American heroes, 8,000 were wounded and another 1,800 were killed. Thousands of teen-aged boys who volunteered for the “Corps” were suddenly thrust into manhood as they faced death in a far-away place that most people don’t even know about. The battle for Peleliu was one of the bloodiest and most controversial battles of World War II, so very few people back home heard much about it. But the Marines still did their job.
It was reported by Major Henry J. Donigan in an article published in Leatherneck Magazine — “Like a sponge, Bloody Nose Ridge soaked up the blood of the 1st Marine Division in a grueling month-long campaign.”
It was thought, before the amphibious landing, that this little island could be secured in about four days, but it turned out to be one of the longest and most difficult battles of World War II. None of the entrenched Japanese soldiers would surrender, and getting them out of their caves and hiding places took unbelievable hand to hand combat in tropical heat that never dipped below 100 degrees even at night. Water sources were so limited that none of our patriotic warriors could take a shower or change their clothes. The suffering and hardship was beyond anything most of us can even imagine.
SO LONG AGO . . . WHO REMEMBERS?
We need to all remember that the price of freedom is measured not by victories or accomplishments but by extreme sacrifice and shedding of blood.
For the past 200+ years, countless men and woman have paid a terrible price and given their all so that we might continue to be the “land of the free and home of the brave.” Take a few minutes and check out the links above . . . and let’s give the Lord thanks for those who died so we might live in peace and prosperity.
WHERE DID THE IDEA OF FREEDOM COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?
The very concept of men living in freedom is inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia — “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants!” That quote comes from the Bible . . . Leviticus 25:10
The greatest privilege we enjoy in America is the privilege of freedom . . . freedom to live where we want to live, freedom to do what we want to do (as long as we don’t infringe upon the rights of others) . . . freedom to worship God . . . or not to worship. All of these freedoms are worth living for, worth fighting for, and worth dying for.
FREEDOM FAR GREATER:
It should be noted that the greatest freedom known to man is freedom from the PENALTY and the POWER of sin. The Ultimate sacrifice and shedding of blood to purchase our freedom was made by the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ — “God showed His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) I truly hope that you have received the gift of eternal life by placing your faith in Christ and by calling upon Him to save you — “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Jesus declared — “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you FREE.” (John 8:32)
I have been reading a thought provoking book entitled “Patriotism From An American Pulpit.” It is truly a “must read” for all of us that love freedom and appreciate our country and are grateful to those who gave their lives that we might live in liberty and freedom. The author, a friend of mine, Darwyn Hassert, penned the following:
“The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God / July 4, 1776”
“The Declaration of Independence is a legal document and is the Charter, i.e. Article of Incorporation of the United States of America. The United States Constitution is the Bylaws of our Constitutional Republic. Bylaws teach us how to apply the Declaration. The above phrase, in the first paragraph of the Declaration, states the Christian theory of law used for over 600 years before July 4, 1776. Only interpretations of the Constitution that agree with the Christian theory of law are legal in our country.”
“The Laws of Nature” describes the Laws of God revealed in creation and is considered General Revelation. Examples of creation law are: rotation of the earth every 24 hours, gravity, plant life producing its own kind, and animal life also producing it own kind. These laws also include man’s consciousness of right and wrong, that there is God, and that marriage is only between a man and a woman (Genesis 1-2, Romans 1:18-32, 2:14-15). All these laws are given for our enjoyment and cannot be changed.”
“‘Nature’s God’ refers to God’s unchanging moral law revealed in Scripture and is called Special Revelation. An example is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Special Revelation, i.e. the Bible expands on General Revelation.”
“Our Founding Fathers took the Bible as a “political textbook” and founded the greatest country in the history of the World. The Law of Nature and of Nature’s God are two sides of the same coin. The Declaration of Independence makes the Bible a fundamental part of the legal foundation of America by referring to God in two ways: General Revelation and Special Revelation.”
“To perpetuate our Constitutional Republic, we must insist that all laws and interpretation of laws always be made in agreement with ‘the Law of Nature and of Nature’s God.'”
NOTE: The thirteen chapters in “Patriotism From An American Pulpit / The Legacy Of America’s Founding Fathers” reveal some of the rich legacy that the Founding Fathers gave to us and are taken from patriotic sermons that Darwyn Hassert preached as a pastor.
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM AUTHOR DARWYN HASSERT:
“The Colonial clergy were instrumental in laying the Biblical and intellectual basis for our War for Independence. Today America desperately needs men in the pulpits of our churches to again preach sermons on civil liberty so all Americans can enjoy the blessings that come from civil and religious liberty. American pastors need to understand our history to help perpetuate our liberties and freedoms, so that we can continue to serve Christ without governmental hindrances. The Colonial pastors had a profound influence on our War for Independence, because they preached liberty and freedom from their pulpits. The chapters in this book are the modern day equivalent of the sermons of Colonial days.”
Editor’s Note: Thank you also, Bill O’Riley, for reminding us of the price of freedom in your book “Killing of The Rising Sun.”