Last year, a group of young people were holding an outdoor fundraiser in Honiara when a World War II shell exploded underneath them, leaving one dead and three seriously injured. Unexploded ordnance continues to kill and endanger Solomon Islanders. As a result, one Solomon Islands journalist wrote that for most people in her country, World War II bombs are “among the few regular reminders of the West.” engagement with the Solomon Islands has declined since the United States closed its embassy in Honiara in 1993. Today, the Solomon Islands is still littered with unexploded war-era bombs and land mines - probably numbering in the thousands - that are buried throughout the country, including in residential areas. officials’ statements reaffirming historical ties between the United States and the Solomon Islands.īut the United States’ role in the country has not been wholly positive. Guadalcanal Memorial, which stands in the Solomon Islands’ capital of Honiara, commemorates the liberation of the archipelago by Allied forces and the shared sacrifices made during the war - themes that are frequently echoed by U.S. Solomon Islanders Still Feel the Effects of WWII Kennedy and some of his crew were thrown overboard when a Japanese destroyer rammed their patrol boat on August 2, 1943, and they sought refuge on an uninhabited island, where they were rescued days later by Solomon Islanders. The Coastwatchers also saved a future U.S. forces in the Solomon Islands, to commend their contributions to the war: “The Coastwatchers saved Guadalcanal, and Guadalcanal saved the South Pacific.” Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, who directed U.S. The significance of the Coastwatchers prompted U.S. They also played vital roles working as guides, rescuing Allied servicemen from behind enemy lines, and gathering intelligence on Japanese troop movements as part of a volunteer network called the Coastwatchers. The Allied victories in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea allowed for subsequent offensives that led up to the Philippines campaign, the Volcano and Ryūkyū Islands campaign, and the eventual surrender of Japan.ĭuring the Guadalcanal campaign, as well as the larger Solomon Islands campaign, Solomon Islanders fought alongside Allied troops, participating in both frontline and guerilla combat. It was a shift in the Allies’ posture from defensive to offensive operations - and became a turning point in the war. But the Guadalcanal campaign put an end to Japan’s military expansion in the Pacific. When Imperial Japanese forces advanced into the South Pacific in 1942, the Allies were increasingly concerned that Japan would cut communication and supply lines between the United States and Australia and directly threaten Australian territory. (LSIS Kieren Whiteley/Australia Department of Defence) The Solomon Islands Was a Pivotal WWII Battlegroundīeginning on August 7, 1942, the Guadalcanal campaign was a six-months-long series of battles fought between Allied forces and Imperial Japan on and around Guadalcanal, the largest landmass in the Solomon Islands. An Australian Army soldier places a charge on a World War II naval round in the Solomon Islands during Operation Render Safe, 2019. As the United States and its partners look to strengthen their relationships with the Solomon Islands, addressing the enduring legacies of WWII - particularly the issue of unexploded ordnance - should be a renewed focus. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, whose fathers both fought there in World War II. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and U.S. On August 7, the Solomon Islands will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Guadalcanal campaign during a visit from U.S.
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