The United States of America and Solomon Islands will commemorate the 73nd anniversary of the landing of the U.S. Marines and the Battle of Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942.
U.S. Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu, Walter North, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Operations Officer Colonel Michael Gann, U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East Commanding Officer Captain Lee Boone, and high–ranking representatives from Solomon Islands government will be at the commemoratory events.
On Friday, August 7, the U.S. Consular Agency will host the Guadalcanal Day Ceremony at the Guadalcanal American Memorial. U.S. Ambassador North and Colonel Gann will deliver opening remarks at the ceremony.
Captain Boone will deliver opening remarks at the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial Service at the Point Cruz Yacht Club later that morning. The Coast Guard Memorial Service is in honor of the U.S. Coast Guard Medal of Honor recipient Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro.
On August 7, 1942, Allied forces, predominantly American, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese to threaten the supply and communication routes between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Guadalcanal campaign was a significant strategic combined arms victory by Allied forces over the Japanese in the Pacific theater.
