Central Kansas Library System

Fifty Years Ago, American troops came perilously close to disaster on the Pacific's remote Gilbert Islands. Just before dawn on Sunday, November 20, 1943, Operation Galvanic was launched - the first major amphibious operation against Japanese-held islands. Over 100,000 men and the largest assembly of warships in history were in place off islands shielded by razor-sharp barrier reefs. An easy and "glorious" victory was anticipated in this battle, the...