“Where U.S. Marines died by the hundreds, the broken bottles, crushed boxes and plastic bags are now piling up by the millions.” This is a quote from an Associated Press article, dated May 15, 2004. Accompanying the article is a photograph of a young boy sitting on top of a huge garbage pile, scavenging.
Why is this significant on Veterans Day?
The young boy is a Tarawa native. The garbage pile is a short distance from Red Beach where Marines of the 2nd Division made an amphibious assault in the heavily defended atoll of Tarawa on November 21, 1943, the first of the “island-hopping” invasions. During the three-day battle, the Marines suffered 3,400 casualties, including more than 1,000 killed, an 18 percent casualty rate. Most of these casualties happened during the landings, from enfilading Japanese gunfire trained on the beaches. American newspapers and magazines included photographs of many of the dead Marines that were seen by a shocked public back home.
I’m a veteran of that battle, having served as Navy landing craft officer, bringing Marines into Red Beach in my Higgins boat. I saw at first hand why Tarawa became known as “Bloody Tarawa.”
For more than a year now I’ve been trying to get our big, dumb government to clear the garbage from that hallowed ground and to institute a garbage control system for that impoverished equatorial island nation, now known as Kiribati, which includes Tarawa. I’ve sent letters, faxes, e-mails literally by the score to high-level officials in Washington, with not even an acknowledgement. I’ve also tried to interest the media in this outrage, with similar lackluster results. The History Channel is one of many I’ve tried to interest.
I attended the last Veterans Day ceremony at City Hall, noting that the MC is associated with the History channel. I approached him after the ceremony, but got the brush-off promptly. Why should he be any different compared with others I’ve contacted?
I guess we’ll continue to have these “feel good ceremonies” honoring veterans, while garbage continues to pile up on Betio. Is there a memorial to the Marines on Betio? Yes, but it can’t be located near Red Beach because of the garbage. As for me, I intend to continue my efforts. If I don’t, who will?
Leon Cooper