06/15/2025
Turning Point in the Pacific
81 years ago, American forces stormed the beaches of Saipan, launching one of the most pivotal battles in the Pacific theater of World War II.
The goal: to seize Saipan’s vital airfield, giving the U.S. a forward base from which to strike the Japanese homeland with long-range bombers.
Marines from the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions, alongside soldiers of the Army’s 27th Infantry Division, faced fierce resistance, including intense artillery, small-arms fire, and brutal close-quarters combat.
After 24 days of grueling fighting against an entrenched force of approximately 32,000 Imperial Japanese troops, U.S. forces declared the island secured on July 9, 1944.
With Saipan in American hands, Tokyo was finally within reach—and the path to victory in the Pacific became clearer.
