Marines Establish AirStrip on Peleliu — 80 Years After End of Horrible WWII Battle

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

In September, 1944, a young US Marine landed on the island of Peleliu, where he would take part in one of the bloodiest battles of the war in the Pacific. He couldn’t have dreamed that 80 years later, Marines would land there again – this time, on a airstrip named in his honor.

Earlier this month, a KC-130J transport touched down on the Peleliu runway, marking a successful end to the Marines’ renovation of the World War II Japanese airfield. The runway has been named for the late Eugene Sledge, a PFC with the 1st Marines Division who fought on the island.

Sledge ended up writing a memoir, “With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa,” a stark account of the fighting in both battles. Later, Sledge would be one of the central characters in Hugh Ambrose’s book, “The Pacific,” which was turned into a 10-part series on HBO.

The Marines say the Peleliu airstrip is mission critical to enhancing US military strategic capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region at a time when China has become more aggressive.

Peleliu is part of the island nation of Palau, located in the Philippine Sea. The country has about 17,000 residents. In 1994, the two countries signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) under which the US is obligated to the defend Palau, while its citizens are allowed to serve in the US armed forces.

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