The following letter from World War II veteran H. Paul Bailey, USMC is re-transmitted with the approval of family members Myra Bailey Walters, Hayley Walters-Clift, Brandon Walters and Bradford Bounds.

"I am an 88-year-old veteran of World War II who served proudly with the 1st Marine Division in Okinawa and China.

As I viewed the recent series, "[The] Pacific," on HBO, I was angry and embarrassed at the constant use of the F-word while depicting Marines in battle.
I went into the front line in Okinawa on May 9, 1945, with the 1st Marine Division. The fighting could only be described as pure hell. I never heard the F-word...

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The Battle for Wake Island; 1941 » The simultaneous attacks by Japan on Wake Island and Pearl Harbor pulled the United States into World War II. The attack on Wake Island was fought by 450 US Marines of the 1st Marines Defense Battalion and 68 US Navy personnel. US Navy Pilot George H.W. Bush would fly his first mission of the war over Wake, and go on to fly 58 combat missions.
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Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; 9 February 1943:  Guadalcanal is finally secured » It was the first major offensive launched against the Empire of Japan. The victory would require the best from the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Army, and was key for further advance in the Solomon Islands. The Marine Corps would gain valuable jungle fighting experience which would be key throughout the Pacific War.
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Iwo Jima, Japan; 19 February 1945: The Battle of Iwo Jima begins » 28% of the 82 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. Marines during the entirety of WWII were bestowed due to combat actions on Iwo Jima. This speaks to the ferocity of the battle between the the Marines and the Japanese forces. The taking of Mount Suribachi and flag raising on 23 February 1945 would forever become the symbol of U.S. Marines Corps heritage.
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Red Beach II - Iwo Jima, Japan; 19 February 1945:  Medal of Honor winner John Basilone at Iwo Jima » Many U.S. Marines were heroes in World War II, but a select few stand taller than others. Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism at Guadalcanal and would go on to win the Navy Cross on Iwo Jima. He was the only enlisted Marine to win both the CMOH and Navy Cross in WWII.
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Iwo Jima, Japan; 23 February 1945: The Two Flag Raisings on Iwo Jima » Harlon Block, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley and Michael Strank were immortalized in the legendary photograph by Joe Rosenthal as the "Flag Raisers of Iwo Jima". The famous photo was the second flag raising, with the first raising photographed by USMC SSgt Louis Lowery. Its "raisers" have been identified (and disputed) as: Harold Schrier, Ernest Thomas, James Michaels, Henry Hansen, and Charles Lindberg.
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Iwo Jima, Japan; 26 March 1945:  The fighting on Iwo Jima ends » The 35-day battle finally came to an end on this day. The Battle of Iwo Jima, or Operation Detachment as it was known by the U.S. forces, saw some of the most brutal combat of the Pacific War. The strategic importance of victory on Iwo was for its two airfields, which would prove vital for B-29 landings and ultimate delivery of the atomic bombs.
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Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands; western Pacific Ocean; 1 April 1945:  Battle of Okinawa » The eighty-two day battle took place from 1 April until 22 June 1945 and had one of the highest casualty rates of any WWII battle. US involvement included the Navy, Marine Corps and Army while the British committed one-quarter of the air power and its British Pacific Fleet known then as Task Force 57. The strategic importance was its 350 mile proximity to mainland Japan. The Battle of Okinawa would be the final major action for the US Marine Corps in WWII.
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Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands; western Pacific Ocean; 7 April 1945:  The Yamato is sunk » Operation Ten-go as it was coded by the Japanese leadership, was a proclaimed last ditch suicide effort to keep the Allied invaders from taking Okinawa and ultimately reaching the Japanese mainland. The ship was the largest, heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships of the Imperial Fleet. The Yamato and nine escorts were sunk just north of Okinawa by carrier-based Navy and Marine bombers and torpedo bombers.
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Cape Gloucester, New Guinea; 22 April 1944:  Battle of Cape Gloucester ends »  The 1st Marine Division would fight its second battle of WWII here on Cape Gloucester, following rest in Melbourne Australia. Its first action on Guadalcanal would provide valuable experience for the 1st Division which would later go on to Peleliu and Okinawa. The Battle of Cape Gloucester was another Allied victory with 310 losses versus 1000+ on the Japanese side.
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Shuri Castle; Okinawa, Japan; 29 May 1945:  The Conquest of Shuri Castle »  During the Battle of Okinawa, the conquest of Shuri Castle by the US Marine and Army forces was considered both a strategic win and psychological blow to the occupying Japanese forces in May of 1945. The battle would see Marine Major General Pedro del Valle earn the Distinguished Service Medal and Army General Simon Buckner Jr. lost to Japanese artillery fire on 18 June 1945.
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The Island of Saipan; SW Pacific Ocean: 15 June 1944:  The Battle of Saipan » The Battle of Saipan was another in the critical objectives of the "island hopping" strategy employed by the Allied leaders in the Pacific. The island of Saipan was key as a potential air base for the B-29s to reach Japan. The battle saw much drama and controversy between the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions and the Army's 27th US Infantry Division. Marine General Holland Smith requested and was granted the replacement of Army Major General Ralph Smith based on Ralph Smith's less agressive combat tactics. -sl
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New Georgia, Solomon Islands; 20 June 1943:   Operation Cartwheel begins » Operation Cartwheel was conceived and planned by General MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz as a strategy to ultimately isolate and neutralize the Japanese "fortress" at Rabaul. Besides its naval ports and airfields, Rabaul was also home to over one hundred thousand Japanese troops. By starting at the Solomons, and taking the islands northward, the Allies would then neutralize the naval and air elements at Rabaul thus cutting the Japanese troops off for the rest of the war. -sl
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7 August 1942  GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS: THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL BEGINS 
It was the first major offensive launched against the Empire of Japan. The victory would require the best from the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Army, and was key for further advance in the Solomon Islands. The Marine Corps would gain valuable jungle fighting experience which would be critical throughout the Pacific War. The Battle for Guadalcanal would further advance the downfall of Japan following the US victory at The Battle of Midway. The US Marine Corps would begin its legendary series of victories on the island and most notably its capture and defense of Henderson Field. Combined Marine and Army losses would exceed 7100 versus 31000 Japanese who gave their life for the Emperor. Many key naval battles would take place near Guadalcanal in support of the US forces on the island. Guadalcanal would make famous such names as Basilone, Edson, Carlson, Vandegrift, Geiger and others. Guadalcanal was recently featured in the HBO Miniseries 'The Pacific'.
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17 August 1942 MAKIN ATOLL - THE GILBERT ISLANDS area:  US MARINE RAIDERS TAKE MAKIN 
The Raid on Makin Atoll was one of the first ground actions by US forces of the war. The other actions included the US Marine 1st Division along with the US Army Americal Division on Guadalcanal (also in August 1942), and US Army actions on New Guinea and in North Africa. The raid was led by Marine LtCol Evans Carlson and would be the first combat test for the new unit. The raid was delivered by US Navy submarines and would be the last occurrence of their usage for delivering US Marines to battle. The four Raider battalions were created in 1942, borne out of a friendship between Colonel Evans Carlson and Captain James Roosevelt, the son of President Roosevelt. In January of 1944 the four Raider Battalions were realigned in to the 4th Marines and newly formed 5th Marine Division, citing the lack of need for a specialized unit in an already elite fighting force by General A.A. Vandegrift.
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11 September 1942 Guadalcanal; Solomon Islands:  BATTLE OF EDSON'S RIDGE  The battle for Guadalcanal came on the heels of the United States' victory at Midway in June of 1942. Once again, much debate as to the turning point in the war in the Pacific - was it Midway or Guadalcanal that turned the tied for the Allies? Guadalcanal codenamed "Operation Watchtower", was a strategic island for the US and Japanese. Control it, and you control the air and sea routes vital between the US, Australia and New Zealand. The airfield on Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, was fought for and taken by the US Marines in August. This piece of real estate would be the main point of contention on Guadalcanal. Between the 12th and the 14th, 6000 Japanese troops attempted to retake the airfield at the Lunga Point perimeter. Marines of the 1st Raider and 1st Parachute Battalions under Lt. Colonel Merritt Edson held the ridge which later became known as "Bloody Rdige" or "Edson's Ridge". Final score = US: 850 enemy killed Japan: 104 enemy killed. In modern culture, elements of the battle for Guadalcanal were recently featured on this year's HBO series "The Pacific". One of the more legendary accounts of the island was written by Richard Tregaskis, Guadalcanal Diary.-sl
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1 October 1944 Peleliu, Palau Islands:  Tthe US Marines on Peleliu Fight On - Noted by the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virgina as the "bitterest battle of the war for the Marines", this ultimate victory by the US Marines and Army would see high casualty rates and controversy. Caught in the competition between Admiral Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur for the best strategy in island hopping northward on to victory towards Japan, the Island of Peleliu was seen as necessary for its airfield. The thought being that flights from Peleliu would protect MacArthur's right flank. After the costly victory by the US Marines and Army, the island saw little use in efforts for the Philippines by MacArthur or Nimitz. For some excellent reading on Peleliu, check out The Pacific Campaign by Dan van der Vat, The Rising Sun by John Toland, and With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge. This harsh battle was featured on the HBO miniseries The Pacific.-sl

POST-WAR RENOWNED MARINE CORPS VETERANS

Lee Marvin » Lee Marvin was the epitome of Hollywood 'cool' back in the day. He, along with Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, brought his military experience and acting talents to the big screen beginning in 1950 until his final film in 1986. Lee served as a sniper in the Marine Corps in WWII, and was awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds received during the Battle of Saipan.

Don Adams » served in the U.S. Marines during WWII. During the Guadalcanal campaign he was the only survivor of his platoon. He contracted blackwater fever and nearly died. He was hospitlaized for nearly a year. After his recovery he served as a drill instructor. Following the war he embarked on a career as a stand-up comedian and an impressionist.