Robert C. Richardson Jr., Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces in the Central Pacific Area, stands with his staff personnel outside headquarters in Hawaii. United States soldiers with the 81st ("Wildcat") Infantry Division on trucks heading to port during World War II. Soldiers with their supplies boarding the ship. Ships sailing out of Hawaii. Animated map shows the Pacific Ocean and important islands such as Hawaii, Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal), Palau (Angaur), and the Philippines. Servicemen spend their free time on deck of ship. Two bald servicemen chatting with their friends. Soldiers sleeping in their quarters on board ship. A shirtless soldier combs his hair. Soldiers play instruments in ship orchestra. Soldiers watch and clap for the band onboard ship.
African American soldiers with the 81st ("Wildcat") Infantry Division fight in a boxing match on deck of ship sailing to Guadalcanal during World War II. Soldiers from audience laugh as they watch the match. Man chewing on snack. Referee helps smiling African American boxer stand up. Shirtless servicemen clapping after boxing match. An African American soldier identified by narrator as "Curly Miller" performs a solo dance while band plays.
A ‘Jolly Rogers’ pirate flag seen during line crossing ceremony on board ship transporting 81st Infantry Division troops during World War II. A man dressed as pirate with eyepatch. Soldiers dressed as "pollywogs" climb wooden ladder while other soldiers hit their buttocks with play weapons. They force a lying sailor to drink a ladle of water as the ship crosses the equator. A one star general, also a pollywog in the ceremony, laughs and then leans over to be trapped in the pillory. Men hit the general's buttocks with paddles playfully and then cut his hair. The general then receives a a “dental inspection” with his mouth "injected" with an empty pesticide pump sprayer. The general laughs while being sprayed with a jet of water. Ships sailing to on the Pacific. Silhouette of a sailor looking at the ocean while on watch.
United States and Christian cross flags flying on top of ship transporting United States troops of the 81st Infantry Division during World War II. Soldier plays organ. Soldier reads a prayer book. Servicemen and sailors attend religious service. They pray. They kneel in unison.
View of Angaur island at sunrise at start of Battle of Angaur in World War II. Aerial view of aircraft carrier. Conning tower on USS Essex. Crew member speaking on on radio headset. Pilot in cockpit of Grumman F6F Hellcat. Fighter planes gathered on deck of the USS Essex (CV-9) near the Palau Islands. Grumman F6F fighters on board start after signal from crew in conning tower. Fighters take off from flight deck. Another Grumman F6F fighter is raised to deck using aircraft lift and takes off. Fighters in formation in the air. Battleship USS Tennessee (BB-43) and four cruisers bombard Japanese positions in Angaur. Explosion on top of a hill. Trees destroyed on the coast as seen from a United States Navy ship. Naval artillery firing at Angaur. Landing craft being deployed from ships to land on Angaur.
Animated map shows arrow pointing to Blue Beach on Angaur Island during World War II. United States soldiers, probably with the 321st regiment, 81st Infantry Division, hunker down on the beach. Burned trees and debris on the ground. A soldier tucks in his shirt. Soldiers advance slowly, with one of them using a flamethrower to burn a Japanese position. A fighter flies over an advancing amphibious tracked vehicle. Aerial view showing landing craft at Red Beach. Demolition teams carry satchel charges to Japanese foxholes. Explosion of satchel charge. Sign hanging reads “CIC” (Combat Intelligence Center). Soldiers waiting for Japanese soldiers to come out of hole. Soldiers shooting at Japanese positions with machine guns and flamethrowers at the same time. Smoke rises from the body of a dead Japanese soldier.
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