U.S., allies gather in Solomon Islands to commemorate 80th anniversary of Battle of Guadalcanal
United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific
A United States interagency delegation traveled to Honiara, Solomon Islands, in early August 2022 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal and strengthen longstanding partnerships with the host nation, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman; Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific (MARFORPAC); U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy and other senior U.S. military officers attended a memorial on Skyline Ridge, the site of the World War II Guadalcanal American Memorial. The hourlong ceremony marked the first time a joint service color guard marched on Guadalcanal, carrying the national ensign and flags from each of the military services that fought in the battle: the U.S. Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.
“We’re here to remember those sacrifices that were made,” Rudder said. “It changed the history of the Solomon Islands, and it changed the history of our nation. I do not want to pass up the opportunity to show my dear appreciation for the Solomon Islanders. They were instrumental in everything we did, and they endured hardships that we can’t imagine. But it makes no sense to remember those sacrifices without looking to the future. And we pledge from [U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)] and the United States Marine Corps that we will look forward.”
The Solomon Islands Government Communications Unit (GCU) and the New Zealand Defence Force said commemorating the deadliest battle in the history of the Pacific should be both an occasion of reflection and a reminder of work to be done.
“Today, we commemorate the 80th anniversary to celebrate peace, harmony, friendship and cooperation,” the GCU told FORUM, “and ensure never again will the world be divided as we turn our attention to improving the quality of lives of our peoples, clear unexploded ordnances, combatting climate change, health, COVID-19 and building infrastructure of progress, peace and prosperity.”
Rear Adm. James Gilmour, commander of Joint Forces New Zealand, called it a “powerful” moment to commemorate the battle and those who died. “A lot of people lost their lives during the battles here on both sides of the conflict. There’s extreme bravery, extreme hardship,” Gilmore told FORUM, adding that “it’s been quite powerful for us to be able to commemorate this event alongside our friends as we recognize that that era is now gone, and we are close allies and Pacific neighbors.”
Other senior U.S. military officers joining Rudder included fellow Marines Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, deputy commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Lt. Gen. George Smith, commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force; and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Watson, commanding general, 1st Marine Division. The delegation included U.S. military officers from units that also fought during the battle: Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area; Rear Adm. Jeffrey J. Kilian, commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific/director, Fleet Civil Engineer, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Navy; and Maj. Gen. Joseph Ryan, commanding general, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army.
Sherman, whose Marine father fought and was wounded on Guadalcanal, spoke of the impact of the battle on both the military and Solomon Islanders.
“With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy for us gathered here today to recognize the Battle of Guadalcanal as a turning point in the Pacific theater, and indeed in the Second World War. But for the Marines patrolling the dense and humid jungle, who had to be wary of both enemy snipers and crippling disease, for the sailors who fought terrifying night battles in the seas around these islands, for the airmen who engaged in countless dogfights in the skies above, the future was unknown and unknowable,” Sherman said. “And in many of those places — like here in Solomon Islands — civilians saw their world upended as well, as bombs and mortars fell on their towns and villages, destroying the lives of innocents.”
The Solomon Scouts and Coast Watchers (SSCW) Trust hosted a memorial event at the SSCW monument, which preceded another ceremony at the Japanese War Memorial Peace Park hosted by the Japanese government.
The U.S. delegation also attended a ceremony hosted by the Solomon Islands government at the Bloody Ridge National Peace Park, which was named after the battle fought there by U.S. Marines in September 1942. (Pictured: U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. George Hernandez, right, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division sergeant major, presents a coin to a Solomon Islander during a ceremony honoring the World War II Solomon Island Coast Watchers in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, August 7, 2022.)
Throughout the seven-month battle for the island, American forces fought side-by-side with allies from the Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and the United Kingdom. The bravery, determination and comm
