‘Nightmare’ Peleliu: US to rebuild WWII runway in Pacific to counter China

Following their work, the first fixed-wing aircraft, a KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft, touched down on the new runway on June 22.

“Today is a historic moment as we land a Marine Corps aircraft on the ‘Sledge’ runway,” remarked Major Christopher Romero, MCED-P 24.1 commanding officer. “This remarkable achievement demonstrates the strategic importance of our mission and our dedication to regional stability and security,” he added.

The U.S. Marines return to Peleliu

More than 1,500 U.S. troops and nearly 11,000 Japanese soldiers were killed on Peleliu between August and November of 1944. One U.S. unit, the 1st Marine Regiment, suffered 70% casualties in six days of fighting on the island.

The Marines renamed the reconstructed landing strip as the “Sledge” runway to pay tribute to Pfc. Eugene Sledge, a veteran of the Peleliu battle. Sledge, a mortarman on the island, documented his experiences in the memoir “With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa,” which inspired the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.”

Sledge described Peleliu as “an alien, unearthly, surrealistic nightmare like the surface of another planet.” Now the runway “connects the past and future, commemorating WWII sacrifices while bolstering regional security and collaboration,” the Marine Corps press release stated.

In order to reduce the threat, the U.S. has been constructing facilities where it can distribute assets, such as aircraft, in the event of hostilities. These facilities are located in the Second Island Chain, which is far enough from the Chinese mainland that it would be difficult for Beijing to strike targets there.

The First Island Chain, including locations like Okinawa in Japan and U.S. bases in the Philippines, is considered neither a survivable nor viable operating location due to Chinese military capabilities in long-range bombers, cruise missiles, and theater ballistic missiles. wrote.

The U.S. is already working on other locations in the Second Island Chain. This includes reviving North Field on Tinian Island in the Northern Marianas, from where the U.S. bombers departed in August 1945 to drop the atomic bombs.

History in the making

CNN reports that Washington aims to build strong connections with Pacific island countries in an effort to counter China’s influence in the region. In early 2023, the Biden administration signed a bilateral defense agreement with Papua New Guinea and reopened an embassy in the Solomon Islands.

Palau consists of remote coral and volcanic islands in the western Pacific. It is home to around 20,000 people and has been under a compact of free association with the United States since 1994.

This makes Washington responsible for its defense needs and allows Palauans to serve in the U.S. military. Palau signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement with the United States last year. This agreement allows the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce its laws in Palau’s exclusive economic zone without a Palau officer present.