Honoring Memories Through Naval History
School Journal Column for 5-25-07
Marianas, Tarawa, Kwajalein, Philippine Sea,
North Africa, Peleliu, Leyte Gulf. Where are these places and what is the relationship between them? I pondered this as I sat in the Navy Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland watching the University of Delaware beat out University of Maryland Baltimore County for the semi final victory in men’s lacrosse last weekend. This geography/history lesson began with the posted names in bold letters around the stadium. We guessed that they must mark significant Naval battles but were surprised that so many of the places seemed unfamiliar. Some names were easily familiar: Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Sicily, Normandy. Other names were puzzling: Yankee Station, Market Time. Then there was a series of “Quangs”: Quang Nam, Quang Tin, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri and Theia Thien. The end of the list included Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, and Enduring Freedom. Memorial Day is here. What better way to commemorate the day than by taking a tour of naval history? (The following information was taken from Wikipedia postings.) Let’s go to the Pacific!
The Mariana Islands are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean. The Ally Japan began to occupy the islands in 1914. After Germany and the rest of the Central Powers lost World War I, the former German islands were entrusted by the League of Nations to Japanese control as a mandate territory (not unlike a UN Trust territory). The island chain saw fighting between the US and Japanese forces in 1944 during World War II. The United States wanted to capture the islands for use as a bombing base to raid the Japanese mainland.
More research revealed that once captured, the islands of Saipan and Tinian were used xtensively by the United States military as they finally put mainland Japan within round-trip range of American bombers. Both the Enola Gay and the Bockscar (which dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively) flew their missions from Tinian’s North Field.” So the references in the beginning of the list tell of battles in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.
In Vietnam the The Mekong Delta is the region in Southeast Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of tributaries according to my Wikipedia sources. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southeastern Vietnam. The area covered by water depends on the season. During the Vietnam War, the Delta region saw fighting between NLF guerrillas and units of the United States Navy operating in small river boats.
Desert Storm took place in 1990-91 when
Iraq invaded Kuwait and the coalition forces scored a decisive victory driving Iraq out.
The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place between 1992 and 1995. The war involved several sides and ended with the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris on December 14, 1995. The peace negotiations were held in Dayton, Ohio, and were finalized on December 21,1995. The accords are known as the Dayton Agreement.
In Somalia on December 1992 to May 1993, Operation Restore Hope was involved in a UN-sanctioned US military intervention.
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is the official name used by the U.S. government for its military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It was previously planned to have been called “Operation Infinite Justice,” but this phrase had previously been restricted to the description of God (among followers of several faiths), and it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims. On October 5, 2006, NATO officially took over control of US forces in Afghanistan. The Operation comprises several subordinate operations: Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-A),Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines (OEF-P) (formerly Operation Freedom Eagle), Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara (OEF-TS), Operation Enduring Freedom – Pankisi Gorge.
Thanks to the men and women who serve in the military all over the world to protect us and thanks to those who have gone before them and paid the ultimate price. This Memorial Day it is fitting that we pause to remember the times, places and people who defend our freedom.
