Episode One is in the can and everyone is taking a brief breather here in Far North Queensland to rest, reload and receive replacements. While there's still much more to be done on Guadalcanal, including Manila John Basilone's classic defensive action on Bloody Ridge overlooking Henderson Field, we are pushing on to the first stages of the infamous battle for Peleliu. In this second episode, we will continue to fight alongside PFC Leckie in H-2-1 but focus on PFC Eugene Sledge, a 60mm mortarman with K Co., 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. We first meet Sledge when he joins the 1st MarDiv as a replacement on Pavuvu in the Russell Islands. Shortly after he gets settled in, the Division is alerted for the landings in the Palau Islands, one of the most costly and controversial campaigns of WW II in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Much like major military operations, this jumping around between episodes is done to take advantage of situation and terrain. We are here in the tropics, so it makes sense to recreate all of our historical amphibious landings where we have beaches, ocean and landing craft. At Peleliu we will land from a variety of amphibs including LVT-4's escorted by
LVT(A)-4's (called "amtanks" by Marines of the period) which are essentially the basic model amtrac fitted with a turret from the Stuart light tank and firing a 37mm cannon. We've also got the standard mix of LCVP's and DUKW's to bring the landing force ashore under intense fire from our trained Japanese infantry opponents. The men of Weapons Company are training hard to keep their edge after the difficult fighting on Guadalcanal. I'm very proud of the way they've remained loyal, flexible and uncomplaining under pressure. Training pays! Semper Fidelis.

The infamous battle at Alligator Creek on Guadalcanal is over after a grueling week of simulated combat between H-2-1, manning a sector of the defensive line along the Ilu, and elements of the IJA Ichiki Force who tried to force a crossing parallel to the beach. By the last night of battle, the area was littered with Japanese bodies floating in the surf or piled up like sardines along the sandbar. Our well-drilled 37mm AT gun crew from Assault Platoon was the anchor of the defensive sector for the entire fight, firing simulated canister rounds into the charging Japanese forces. I was extremely proud of that crew as well as all the other riflemen and machinegunners who manned the fighting holes. They fired, reloaded and fired some more all night long. The hardest part was getting them to cease-fire! PFC Leckie and his .30 caliber heavy machinegun crew proved that the old Browning water-cooled weapon can still sustain long periods of fire without over-heating or jamming despite blustery on-shore winds that carried packets of sand into all our weapons. Our Marines did what Marines always do when they had a spare moment or a lull in the action: They cleaned their weapons. We now move on to pick up some missing images of the unopposed beach landings that have been delayed by high wind and surf conditions here in Far North Queensland. Then it's on to the Battle of Bloody Ridge. More from the battle front soonest. Semper Fidelis!