Once a rallying cry, now fading into history: Wake Island
Written: Nov 07 '09
Product Rating:
Pros: First-hand accounts. Writing style. Important piece of U.S. history.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: The Battle of Wake Island briefly loomed large in American history, but then faded from view. This account of the event is worth reading.
trailhound's Full Review: Bill Sloan - Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic S...
There was not much to cheer about in the U.S. in December 1941. Japan had just launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, catapulting the country into World War II. Most of Europe was under a Nazi chokehold while the Italians claimed the Mediterranean. U.S. possessions across the Pacific were simply sitting and waiting for the Japanese Empire to conquer their islands. But on one remote atoll the Americans were ready to fight back – and almost succeeded.
Wake Island is barely a speck in the vast ocean, measuring fewer than 3 square miles in size. How could such a tiny island play an important role in history? It was here that the Japanese sought to expand their empire and build an impregnable perimeter across the Pacific. In the book Given Up For Dead author Bill Sloan recounts many of the heroic actions that U.S. Marines and hundreds of civilians undertook to try and stave off the Japanese onslaught in December 1941.
The author initially gives some background on Wake Island, which was never inhabited until Pan Am airlines built an airstrip there in the 1930s so they could provide trans-Pacific air flights to Asia. The scrubby island, actually composed of three islands, is surrounded by a coral reef and subject to continuous pounding of waves from the sea. There isn't a drop of fresh water or any notable resources.
Through the 1930s the U.S. government, fearing a war with Japan was inevitable, began building a military establishment on Wake Island. A small band of Marines was stationed here and they began constructing buildings for housing and artillery pieces. However, by the time war broke out, the island was still woefully unprepared and lay vulnerable to a Japanese invasion.
Throughout the book Sloan relies on first-hand accounts of events that took place on Wake and later in POW camps. He interviewed survivors of the battle and at times compares and contrasts the sometimes conflicting stories. This approach to the story of Wake Island almost made me feel like I was right there in the midst of the action. At times the reading was exciting, but most often it is gut-wrenching.
Sloan shows how the brave and courageous defense of Wake Island briefly captured the hearts of all Americans. In one instance a news flash from the island was misinterpreted as saying 'Send more Japs', as if the rag-tag band of fighting men wanted to fight to the last man. However, the truth was much more sobering. After several blundering attempts the Japanese simply overwhelmed Wake Island, and one of the last communications the servicemen sent out said: ''Enemy on Island. Issue in Doubt''.
Within Given Up For Dead the author touches on some mysteries and controversies that surround Wake Island. For instance there is still confusion about whether Marine Major Devareaux or Navy Commander Cunningham gave the orders to surrender while the Marines were still fighting and inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese. Sloan also recounts a mysterious event where bright flashes of light appeared well out to sea one night as if a terrific naval battle were occurring far out in the Pacific. However, no explanation has ever been developed about what the flashes of light actually were (it was not lightning and no recorded battle took place).
At the book's end the author mentions how the battle of Wake Island soon became one of many battles of World War II, and was soon overlooked by those handing out war medals and by many citizens back home. However, if you have any interest in World War II history I highly recommend Given Up For Dead. It recounts an important era of history when victory for the U.S. was in doubt and many men fought bravely and to their deaths in a remote land that is now mostly forgotten.
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