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On this day in history, 17 August 1942, US Marine Raiders attack Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The 2nd Marine Raider Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. Evans Carlson made the nine-day journey from Hawaii to Makin in WWI-era submarines. The raid was mostly a diversion from the Guadalcanal campaign, trying to keep the Japanese from sending reinforcements. However, documents and charts captured from the main Japanese outpost on Makin provided invaluable information to American intelligence, including battle orders, defense maps, and emergency operation plans. Although the atoll was not strategically important, the raid on Makin provided insights and information which would impact the rest of the Pacific War. A movie titled “Gung Ho” was made in December 1943 about the Makin Island Raiders, and the Chinese phrase meaning “working together” was adopted as the slogan for Carlson’s Raiders. The expression eventually came to the popular language to mean “enthusiastic” or “dedicated,” evoking the spirit and determination of the men who raided Makin Atoll in 1942. Sources: National Archives U.S. Naval Institute Image: Marine Raiders crossing a river at Enogai, US Marine Corps photo from the U.S Naval Institute. #wwiihistory #usmc #marineraiders #pacificwar #makin #gilbertislands #2ndmarinebattalion #carlsonsraiders #gungho #wwii