Japanese aircraft fragments retrieved by J.T. Marley
Eight months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, American forces engaged in the first major amphibious invasion of World War II, attacking the Japanese-occupied island of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific Ocean on August 7, 1942. Air, sea, and ground combat with the Japanese ensued for over six months and resulted in heavy casualties and the loss of ships and aircraft on both sides. On February 9, 1943, Guadalcanal was secured by the Americans, ending attempts by the Japanese for expansion into the Pacific and marking a turning point in the war.
The Japanese lost over 600 aircraft during the Guadalcanal campaign. These metal fragments are from one such Japanese bomber and were picked up on the island of Guadalcanal by J.T. Marley (1907-1990) of Jackson, Mississippi. Marley served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945 and spent two years in the Pacific.
Source:Mississippi War Memorial Building Collection, gift of J.T. Marley
Time Period:1941-1960
Related Conflict:World War II
Display Status:This artifact is not on view.
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