The Coin Toss War

Every day starts a new story. On Aug. 7, 2001, we did our first interview with a World War II China-Burma-India veteran, Harold Corbin. Harold was a great friend and it was a wonderful way to start the project.

World War II began on Sept. 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The United States entered the war two years later, on Dec. 7, 1941, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

The war in the Pacific was a brutal and bloody affair, fought across vast distances and in some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but in the end, the Allies prevailed.

One of the key turning points in the Pacific war was the Battle of Guadalcanal, which began on Aug. 7, 1942. The battle was fought for control of the Solomon Islands, a strategically important chain of islands that lay between Australia and New Guinea.

The Americans landed on Guadalcanal with a force of 19,000 Marines, who quickly overwhelmed the Japanese garrison on the island. However, the Japanese soon launched a series of counterattacks, and the battle raged for six months.

In the end, the Americans prevailed, but at a heavy cost. They lost 6,000 men killed or wounded, while the Japanese lost over 30,000. The Battle of Guadalcanal was a decisive victory for the Allies, and it paved the way for their eventual victory in the Pacific war.

Another key turning point in the Pacific war was the Battle of Midway, which was fought from June 4-7, 1942. The battle was fought over a small atoll in the central Pacific, and it was one of the most important naval battles in history.

The Japanese launched a surprise attack on Midway, hoping to destroy the American fleet and gain control of the Pacific. However, the Americans were able to intercept the Japanese dispatches and decode their plans.

The Americans used this intelligence to set a trap for the Japanese fleet, and in the ensuing battle, they sank four Japanese carriers and a battleship. The Japanese lost over 3,000 men, while the Americans lost only 307.

The Battle of Midway was a stunning victory for the Allies, and it marked the beginning of the end for the Japanese empire. After Midway, the Americans were able to go on the offensive in the Pacific, and they eventually drove the Japanese back to their home islands.

The Pacific war was a long and bloody conflict, but in the end, the Allies prevailed. The war had a profound impact on the world, and it helped to shape the course of history in the 20th century.