Sept. 15, 1944: The Battle of Peleliu begins. Although one of the least publicized battles of the Pacific Campaign, Peleliu saw some of the most intense combat in Marine Corps history. The six miles long and two miles wide island was manned by a garrison of more than 10,000 Japanese troops ready to fight to the last man. The Japanese had learned from previous battles and had used the island’s cave systems to create nearly impenetrable fortifications. Worse, the allied water supply became contaminated with oil, and the heat hit over 115 degrees. The fiercest fighting occurred on Bloody Nose Ridge when Captain Everett Pope led his company of 90 men deep into a Japanese-controlled position. Realizing he was severely outnumbered and cut off from support, he ordered his men to take up defensive positions, which were attacked relentlessly throughout the night. Pope’s Marines ran out of ammunition during the battle and had to engage the Japanese in hand-to-hand combat using their knives, fists, and even coral rocks. Nevertheless, Pope and his men held off the assault until sunrise. When they were finally able to evacuate, only 9 of his men remained. For his actions, Pope received the Medal of Honor. The fighting would go on for 73 days. The battle resulted in 1,336 Marines and 208 Soldiers KIA, while the Japanese suffered 10,695 KIA and 301 captured. Interviews from the documentary, “Peleliu 1944: Horror in the Pacific.”