Images of Old Hawaiʻi

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Hawai‘i Seven

“The Alien Registration Act of 1940, better known as the ‘Smith Act,’ was initially designed to monitor immigrants and prosecute those suspected of collaborating with fascist enemy powers.”

“But after World War II, as relations with the US and Soviet Union changed from reluctant allies to avowed enemies, the Justice Department turned the Smith Act into a weapon against the left, manipulating the law to target American citizens alleged to be leaders of the Communist Party.”  (DeLauder, University of Washington)

“The Alien Registration Act was introduced by Virginia Congressman Howard Smith, passed by Congress, and signed by President Roosevelt on June 28, 1940, World War II was raging in Europe and Asia and Congress, worried about espionage, passed the law to keep track of immigrant noncitizens.”

“It required adult noncitizens to register with the federal government and be fingerprinted.  (DeLauder, University of Washington)

Then, in the Islands, seven were arrested at or near their homes in the morning of August 28, 1951 and were charged with “conspiring with each other”. “According to the complaint, the alleged conspiracy has continued since April 1, 1945.” (Star Bulletin, August 29, 1951)

The “Hawaii Seven” were Jack Wayne Hall, John Ernest Reinecke, Jack Denishi Kimoto, Koji Ariyoshi, Dwight James Freeman, Charles Kazuyuki Fujimoto and Eileen Toshiko Fujimoto. (State Bulletin)

“The arrests came when sugar negotiations were in progress and on the day of the arrest, the ILWU sugar negotiating committee came to the Federal building to hold a conference with Hall, who was held in custody there. The arrests came when 750 ILWU pine workers were on strike on Lanai.” (Honolulu Record)

“Six defendants spent a week in jail while $15,000 bail was being raised for each. For travel outside of Oahu, an additional $10,000 was required.” (Star Bulletin)

“The longest and hardest fought case in the Territory’s history lasted seven and a half months from late 1952 to the summer of 1953 in the whipped up atmosphere of cold-war McCarthyism.” (Honolulu Record)

“Hawaii’s seven top Communists, including Longshore Boss Jack W Hall, were convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the Government today [June 19, 1953] and stevedores immediately halted work on all island docks, possibly foreruning a general protest strike.”

“Within two hours after the verdict was announced Hall’s International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union suspended negotiations on a new contract and longshoremen began walking off the job at Castle and Cook Pier 32.”

“Conviction of the ‘Hawaii seven’ brings to 51 the number of United States Red leaders convicted since the Nation’s 11 top Communists were found guilty in New York in 1949.”  (The Tribune, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1953)

They appealed … “The US Court of Appeals, acting in line with the Supreme Court’s California Reds ruling of last June, Monday reversed the Smith Act convictions of seven persons in Hawaii and four in the State of Washington.” (Subcommittee on Territories and Insular Affairs)

(The “US  Supreme Court established a distinction between advocacy of a political doctrine and advocacy of action.” (Advertiser))

The Hawaii Seven were contacted after the Ninth Circuit reversal and provided the following comments to the Honolulu Record:

Jack W. Hall. “This period has certainly been a time when we as a union found out who our friends are. I found out as an individual, too Prom the beginning, I have had confidence that our union program and my part in it would be vindicated.”

Jack D. Kimoto. “The acquittal of the Hawaii Seven means a resounding defeat for reactionary elements who used the Smith Act as a vehicle in their conspiracy to smash militant trade unionism and progressive political movement in Hawaii The vehicle, itself, is on the way to the ash heap of History I congratulate everyone who did his share to defeat this abominable conspiracy.”

Charles K. Fujimoto. “I am happy that the courts have finally handed down a decision in our favor. It is a victory not only for the Seven, but for all Americans in the preservation of their civil liberties.”

Eileen Fujimoto. “I want to thank all the ILWU members, our attorneys and friends and all those who had the intellectual integrity and courage to support us in our fight for those basic civil rights guaranteed all Americans.”

Dr. John Reinecke. “My strongest impressions after more than six years of the Smith Act case and 10 years as one of the targets of local witch-hunting are of the kindliness of the average person, but also of a very general lack of civic courage.”

Koji Ariyoshi. “The reversal of the Smith Act conviction shows once again that laws are not always right, that government, or that part of government that enforces the laws, is not always right The Bill of Rights which protects all Americans finally passed after a long struggle by democratic minded Americans The Smith Act must be repealed.”

Dwight James Freeman. “I’m happy about the reversal of course, but it seems an awful shame that so much time and money and energy should have been required to fight charges that should never have been made and a case that should never have been in court.”

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Bull Pen

Betty Jean O’Hara was “born in Chicago, Illinois in 1913, the year preceding the 1st World War. The early years of (her) life were happy and normal. Being the only child of a physician, (she) was given the best schooling in preparation for a career.”

“(Her) parents were Catholic, and were strict in the regimentation of (her) life. (She) was permitted however to attend parties and movies with other children (her) age.”

At about the age of 16, she met a girl and her boyfriend at a party. The girl was covered in fine jewelry and nice clothes. Young, and easily led, she “agreed to their sordid plans and went into the business of the ‘oldest profession.’” A month later, she left home and headed to San Francisco. (O’Hara)

“Jean O’Hara was a pretty girl who became a handsome woman. She was ‘black Irish,’ fair-skinned with a clear complexion which set off her dark eyes, raven hair, and even her features. She stood about 5’4” and at 120 pounds was slender by that era’s standards. Her good looks and classy bearing would serve her well.” (Bailey & Farber)

“(O’Hara) got used to the fast money.”

“(She) started working in one of the better class houses, and (she) became definitely committed to the practice of prostitution. (Her) father and mother tried every means available to frighten (her) into going home …”

“… but being headstrong, and enticed by the seemingly fabulous earnings (she) resisted their every attempt. Although (she) actually loathed the life, (her) sense of shame and sin aroused in (her) a perverse independence.” (O’Hara)

In mid-1938, O’Hara arrived in Honolulu from San Francisco.

There was an unofficial system of regulated prostitution in the Islands, with the also unofficial sanction of the military. Army military police and the Navy shore patrol helped monitor it.

All girls had to live in the houses where they worked; no white girls were allowed on the other side of River Street. The Army, Navy, and civilian police picketed any house violating the rules, and no man could enter it. According to the agreement, the civil police regulated prostitution “with full cooperation by the Army and Navy.” (Greer)

“The business of procuring girls to work in the brothels, or “factories”, before the war (WWII,) was usually handled by the same … “procurer.” He handled nothing but the transportation of the girls. … The fee for procuring a girl from the mainland rage(d) from $500 to $1,000 depending on the looks and the capability of the girl.” (O’Hara)

A detective would meet the ships coming in and the girls were taken to the ‘receiving station.’ (In O’Hara’s case, that was the Blaisdell Hotel on Fort Street.) The girls were explained the rules – in no uncertain terms, the girls were told that any violation of the rules meant banishment from the Territory.

All of the girls have a Territorial tax book and a Territorial license (they were licensed as ‘entertainers,’) which cost each $1 per year. In addition, every month the Vice Squad would collect an unofficial tax of $30 per girl from the brothels.

The girls paid Federal income taxes, as well as state taxes. “It has been said that (the) girls and Madames are the heaviest tax payers in Honolulu. … Each girl in Honolulu can average from $4,000 per month to $5,000 per month. … Taxes are collected by the Madame of the house, who also files the returns for them.” (O’Hara)

Before WWII, the girls usually started to work around 1 pm, and ended around 5 am. The ‘blackout’ during the war meant they worked from 8 am to noon.

“Very few girls made under a $100 a day, some of these double that and some of them made over $300 a day. It all depends upon the girl. She can make as much as she wants.”

“The price charged is $3.00 per date. Of this, the Madame gets one dollar. Out of the remaining two dollars, the girl must pay the Madame for her room and board and laundry.” (O’Hara)

The Madames were women from the mainland. Although prostitution was not legal, they needed permission from the local Police before operating.

When WWII broke out, and martial law was in effect, the military called the shots (1941-1943.) A “substantial number” of prostitutes were brought to Honolulu from the mainland under military priorities – a common rumor – and that under military government prostitution “flourished.” (Greer)

Most brothels required girls to see at least 100 men a day and to work at least 20 days per month.

To speed things along, O’Hara is credited with inventing the ‘bull pen’ system where a single prostitute would work three rooms in rotation (including maid service.)

In one room a man would be undressing, in a second room the prostitute would be having sex, and in the third room the man would be dressing. (The guy had three minutes to achieve release, after which she said ‘aloha’ and was off to the next room while he washed up and got dressed.) (McNeill)

After a few months’ work in a Hotel Street brothel, she had amassed a sizable bankroll. She leased a house near Waikiki Beach with a friend.

“The life of a prostitute is not an easy one, and the stringent rules of the Honolulu Police Department, headed by Chief of Police Gabrielson, left her no more freedom that a prisoner.”

O’Hara broke the rules (often) and ended up getting the regular attention of the Police, including Gabrielson. She was fined, imprisoned and beat black and blue, with two broken ribs.

O’Hara filed a $100,000 lawsuit in 1941 against the Police department for her two broken ribs and black eyes. The lawsuit was dropped, but conflicts with the Police continued.

O’Hara later married a ‘local boy’ and quit the business. She was a prostitute for 13-years, and temporarily was a Madame. She had homes in Waikiki and Pacific Heights.

After leaving the brothels, “(her) only desire (was) to live a useful family life, and help others to live and let live, as one resurrected from the sordid flesh mines of humanity.”

In 1944, she wrote a booklet, ‘My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.’ She died in 1973. (Lots of information here is from that booklet.)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

50-Star US Flag

At the time of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, there were no flags with any stars on them. The 13 Star Flag became the first official US Flag; it was adopted though an act of Congress on June 14, 1777. 

Since 1818, a star for each new state has been added to the flag on the 4th of July the year immediately following each state’s admission.  The blue background on the top left, where the stars are placed, represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice; the red stripes symbolize valor whereas the white means purity and innocence.

in the 1950s, it was assumed Alaska would be admitted to the Union; President Eisenhower signed the official proclamation on January 3, 1959. Upon learning this, designers began retooling the American flag to add a 49th star to the existing 48. Many expected that Hawai‘i would be added as the 50th state and 1953 was the earliest submission of a 50-star flag design.

The current design of the U.S. flag is its 27th.  It was designed by Robert (Bob) Galen Heft.  In the spring of 1958 while a 17-year-old junior at Lancaster High School, Ohio. Heft and his fellow classmates were given an assignment by US History teacher Stanley Pratt to prepare a history project of choice and report on it in class.

Heft was born on January 19, 1942, in Saginaw, Michigan to Maynard G. Heft and Viola C. Weaver; his parents separated when he was about one and Heft was raised by his grandparents Sheldon and Gladys Schromme in Lancaster (he referred to them as his parents). (Yuma Sun, Jun 14, 1995)

Heft had an interest in the Betsy Ross story and learned respect for the flag through his service in Boy Scouts. A flag project – an honorable and innocent task by most standards – seemed to be a natural choice for him. The idea of making a flag came to Heft at the time after seeing the flag flying at city hall. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

“I’d watch my mom sew, but I had never sewn … and since making the flag of our country, I’ve never sewn again,” said Heft. (West Point AOG)

Heft cut into the family flag with scissors, and with an additional $2.87 of new cloth and iron-on material he purchased from Wiseman’s Department Store, he then spent 12-½ hours over the course of the entire weekend at the family’s dining table constructing a new 50-star version of ‘Old Glory’ using a pattern of five rows of six stars with four alternating rows of five stars.

Pratt asked him, “What’s this on my desk?” Heft replied that it was a flag.  Pratt pointed out to Heft that he had too many stars on the flag. “You don’t even know how many states we have,” Heft recollected Pratt’s response.

Pratt gave the young flag designer a grade of B-minus. Despite receiving a ‘decent grade,’ as Heft would later describe in speeches, he remained upset as he felt his grade did not match the effort he put into it – considering Tim and his level of effort.

Pratt then presented young Bob with a challenge to have his flag submitted to Congress and if they accept his 50-star flag design he would consider changing the grade. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Ultimately, Executive Order 10834 notes, “Section 1. The flag of the United States shall have thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white, and a union consisting of white stars on a field of blue.”

“Sec. 2. The positions of the stars in the union of the flag and in the union jack shall be as indicated on the attachment to this order, which is hereby made a part of this order. Sec. 3. The dimensions of the constituent parts of the flag shall conform to the proportions set forth in the attachment referred to in section 2 of this order.” (EO 10834, Signed: August 21, 1959 Published: August 25, 1959)

Heft would make contact with the new Congressman of Ohio’s 10th District, Representative Walter H. Moeller, to inform him of his 50-star design. He eventually sent the flag to Representative Moeller with a note that in the event both Alaska and Hawaii become states that the Congressman submit the 50-star design on his behalf.

Over time, Heft would make numerous phone calls to Representative Moeller’s office, as well as 21 letters and 18 phone calls to the White House to check on the status of his flag submission. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Eventually, Congress approved and the states ratified, Alaska, which officially became a state on January 3, 1959, and was acknowledged on a new 49-star flag at a flag-raising ceremony at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD on July 4, 1959.

The 49-star flag, however, would be short-lived – the shortest in U.S. history at only one year. While Hawaii also earned statehood in 1959, it did not occur until later in the year, August 21, after the 49-star flag had already been adopted. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

Following statehood of Hawaiʻi, the new flag of the United States of America (Heft’s design containing a union of 50 stars) flew for the first time at 12:01 am, July 4, 1960, when it was raised at the Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland.

Heft traveled the world extensively telling countless people of his unique story. He retired after 30 years as a high school and college history teacher. He was a seven-term Mayor of Napoleon, Ohio and past state president of the Ohio Mayor’s Association. He died on December 12, 2009 in Saginaw, Michigan at the age of 67. (Wakeman Funeral Home)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kamehameha Day

Kamehameha Day was first celebrated in 1871 by Kamehameha V as a day to honor his grandfather, Kamehameha I (however, it was first celebrated on December 11 of that year.)

Here’s a little background on the celebration (Kepā Maly gave me information from SM Kamakau) and the reasoning why we now celebrate Kamehameha Day on June 11.

“The celebration of Kamehameha Day on June 11 came about in the following way.”

“On December 11, 1871, the birthday of Kamehameha V who was at that time ruling king, a public celebration was held with horse-riding and other sports.”

“It was agreed to make this celebration an annual event, but because of the uncertain weather in December to change the date to June.”

“Kamehameha V died soon after, and the holiday remained as a “Day in Commemoration of Kamehameha I,” (La Ho‘o-mana‘o o Kamehameha I.)”

So, while linked to Kamehameha V’s birth date (December 11,) because the weather is better in the summer, the decision was made to have the Kamehameha I celebration six months from the King Kamehameha V’s birthday (i.e. June 11 – the date has no direct significance to Kamehameha I.)

In 1882, the Hawaiian Legislature with concurrence from the King (Kalakaua) authorized a Kamehameha statue to serve as a “commemorative of the centennial of the discovery of this Archipelago by Cook”. (PCA, May 19, 1882)

“In 1878 the Kingdom of Hawaii, with King Kalakaua at its head, honored Captain Cook at the centenary celebration of discovery. The permanent memorial established in Honolulu at that time was the splendid statue of Kamehameha the Great which stands upon a high pedestal in front of the Judiciary Building.” (Taylor)

“A great many plans have been proposed and suggestions made whereby the memory of the great navigator might be suitably recognized and perpetuated by our residents.”

“On the eve of the day celebrated the glee troupes of Lahaina, who can boast of a preeminence in the sweet chorus singing peculiar to Hawaiians, with some commemorative of the coming of Captain Cook”. (PCA, Jan 26, 1878)

“January 18, 1878, was the anniversary of the landing of Captain Cook on these Islands – one hundred years ago. The event was commemorated by our people with becoming reverence.”

“The Hawaiian citizens, assisted by the English speaking residents, made such preparations for the event as they could, in order to testify their appreciation of a century of time in the history of the Hawaiian group with all its mutations, whether for good or otherwise in the history of the race.” (Hawaiian Gazette, Jan 23, 1878)

That statue that gets draped with lei on June 11, is “The centennial of the discovery of the Sandwich Islands by Captain Cook in 1778”; it is “a bronze statue, heroic size, of Kamehameha, the conqueror and organizer of the Islands.”

Then, in 1896 the legislature declared it a national holiday.

“Kamehameha Day was generally observed by the people. Elaborate preparations were made for the celebration of the day, with sumptuous feasts and sports, and every effort was brought to bear in order to insure the success of the occasion.”

“It might well be said that, in the language of the poet, its observance was usually attended with:

‘The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,

And all that beaut’, all that wealth e’er gave.’”

“The celebration itself was characterized by a cheerful spirit and good-fellowshlp. “Aloha,” the watchword that opened every heart and brightened every soul, was greeted on every side, and hospitality, unalloyed and unbounded, was displayed at every door. There was no distinction in race, color or creed.”  (John C Lane, Mayor, 1916)

In 1939, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes under the Territorial Legislature of Hawai‘i created the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission – that law remains in effect, today.

State law notes: §8-5 King Kamehameha celebration commission … “The commission shall have charge of all arrangements for the celebration each year generally observed throughout Hawai‘i Nei on June 11, to commemorate the memory of the great Polynesian Hawaiian warrior and statesman King Kamehameha I, who united the Hawaiian Islands into the Kingdom of Hawai‘i”.

In 1978 the legislature renamed this holiday King Kamehameha I Day.

Almost from its first observance this day was celebrated chiefly by horse races in Kapi‘olani Park; but the races eventually gave way to today’s parades of floats and pāʻū riders.

On February 14, 1883, the Kamehameha statue was unveiled at Aliʻiōlani Hale during the coronation ceremonies for King Kalākaua. 

The stance of the statue, with spear in left hand and right outstretched with open palm, showed the “successful warrior inviting the people … to accept the peace and order he had secured.”

There are now five different statues of Kamehameha:

  • The first replica stands prominently in front of Aliʻiolani Hale in Honolulu
  • The initial (repaired) casting of the statue is at Kapaʻau, North Kohala
  • Another replica is in US Capitol’s visitor center in Washington DC
  • Another statue is at the Wailoa River State Recreation Area in Hilo
  • A statute, created by Herb Kane, is at the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui

The customary draping of the Kamehameha Statue with lei dates back to 1901.  The image shows the lei-draped statue of Kamehameha in Honolulu.  (wongsto)

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by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

D-Day

June 6, 1944 was the beginning of the end of WWII in Europe; France at the time was occupied by the armies of Nazi Germany and the combined land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies led to the liberation of France and the later defeat of the Germans.

While we focus on the coast of France, we sometimes overlook events on the other side of the world. That same day, June 6, 1944, a huge attack force cleared Pearl Harbor on its way to invade Japanese positions in the Mariana Islands. (NPR)

The WWII began when Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 15, 1939, following Germany’s invasion of Poland. Then in May 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium, Holland, Norway and Denmark. A year later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, leading the US top declare war on Japan.  Germany, in turn, declared war on the US, bringing America into the war in Europe.  WWII was being fought in the Pacific and Atlantic.

For years, Allied leaders and military planners had debated about when, where, and how to land troops in northern Europe. Although plans for such an action had been in the works for years, it was not until December 1943, when General Dwight D Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, that preparations for the future operation, code named Overlord, intensified.

Although the invasion was delayed with no definite timeline, American troops began arriving in Great Britain in record numbers in 1943. By the end of May 1944, there were more than 1.5 million US Army personnel in the United Kingdom to either participate in or support the cross-Channel action.  

For several months prior to the invasion, several thousand Allied bombers and fighters attacked targets from the Pas de Calais to the north to the French port of Cherbourg to the west and more than a hundred miles inland to isolate the Normandy area of operations and hamper the ability of German commanders to reinforce their forces in Normandy once the invasion began.

German High Command had bought into the deceptions of the operation, and fully expected a landing at the Pas de Calais. Planners instead had selected a 50-mile stretch of coastline in Normandy.

The Normandy beaches were chosen by planners because they lay within range of air cover and were less heavily defended than the obvious objective of the Pas de Calais, the shortest distance between Great Britain and the Continent.

The action was planned in two parts.  Neptune, the naval component and assault phase, involved moving tens of thousands of Allied troops across the Channel and landing them on the beaches while providing gunfire support.  Overlord was pivotal point of the plan – the invasion and the subsequent Battle of Normandy.

Approximately 160,000 Allied soldiers were to land across five beaches code named Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah, while British and American paratroop and glider forces landed inland.  Forces landing at each beach would eventually link up, establishing a beachhead from which to further push inland into France.

After numerous delays and major planning changes, D-Day was set for June 5. However, on June 4, as paratroopers prepared to board their aircraft to carry them behind enemy lines, weather conditions deteriorated.

The decision was made to delay 24 hours, requiring part of the naval force bound for Utah beach to return to port. With a small window of opportunity in the weather, Eisenhower made the decision to go – D-Day would be June 6, 1944.

In issuing the Order of the Day, Eisenhower stated, “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.”

“The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”

“Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. …”

“The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”

Total Allied troops who landed in Normandy: 156,115 (including 23,400 Allied airborne troops); Soldiers’ home nations: United States, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Luxembourg, Greece, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and Australia (+177 French commandos).

Total Allied aircraft that supported landings: 11,590; Total naval vessels in Operation Neptune: 6,939 (including Naval combat ships: 1,213; Landing ships / craft: 4,126; Ancillary craft: 736; Merchant vessels: 864 – of the 6,939 ships involved in D-Day, 80 percent were British; 16.5 percent, U.S.; and the rest from France, Holland, Norway and Poland.)

By June 30, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front, and Russian forces on the eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France.

“Many explanations have been given for the meaning of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the day the Allies invaded Normandy from England during World War II. The Army has said that it is ‘simply an alliteration, as in H-Hour.’  Others say the first D in the word also stands for ‘day,’ the term a code designation.”

“The French maintain the D means ‘disembarkation,’ still others say ‘debarkation,’ and the more poetic insist D-Day is short for ‘day of decision.’”

“When someone wrote to General Eisenhower in 1964 asking for an explanation, his executive assistant Brigadier General Robert Schultz answered: ‘General Eisenhower asked me to respond to your letter. Be advised that any amphibious operation has a ‘departed date’; therefore the shortened term ‘D-Day’ is used.”

That response reminds us that the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 was not the only D-Day of World War II. Every amphibious assault – including those in the Pacific, in North Africa, and in Sicily and Italy – had its own D-Day.

While the focus of D-Day is on the coast of France, we sometimes overlook events on the other side of the world. That same day, June 6, 1944, a huge attack force cleared Pearl Harbor on its way to invade Japanese positions in the Mariana Islands. (NPR)

Since the fall of the Marshall Islands to the Americans a few months earlier, both sides began to prepare for an American onslaught against the Marianas and Saipan in particular. The Americans decided that the best course of action was to invade Saipan first, then Tinian and Guam.  The Battle of Saipan was under the code name Operation Forager.

The force that headed west across the Pacific may have been smaller in numbers than the armada that gathered off the coast of Normandy, but the US 5th Fleet boasted no fewer than 16 aircraft carriers and more than 900 combat aircraft. The attack group carried two divisions of Marines and one of Army infantry and the stakes of both invasions were similar. (NPR)

In June 1944, Admiral Raymond A Spruance’s 500-ship fleet, carrying about 125,000 Marines and Sailors steamed 1,000 miles from the Western Marshall Islands to the South Mariana Islands.   This fleet included most of the Navy’s carriers and battleships, along with many of its transports of the Pacific Fleet.

The Mariana Islands were the last bastion of Japan’s Central Pacific perimeter.  Their capture by American Forces severed the Japanese supply lines with the Caroline Islands territories further south and pushed the defense west to the Philippines while opening the Japanese homelands for aerial assaults.

Spruance’s Task Force 58 launched the first of many pre-invasion air sorties on June 11 on Japanese positions, airplanes, and ships.  Both fast and escort carriers participated in these attacks that lasted until the capture of Guam on August 10.  (Navy)

They set D-day for June 15, when Navy Sailors would deliver Marines and Soldiers to Saipan’s rugged, heavily fortified shores.  The Navy’s involvement bookended the operation: naval vessels and personnel ferried Marines and Soldiers to the beaches and then, after ground combat was over, took leading positions in the administration of the occupation.

Japanese resistance proved far greater than anticipated, not least of all because the latest intelligence reports had underestimated troop levels.

In reality, troop levels, in excess of 31,000 men, were as much as double the estimates. For at least a month, Japanese forces had been fortifying the island and bolstering its forces. Although US submarines had managed to sink most of the transports to Saipan from Manchuria, the majority of these troops survived to supplement a full 13,000 men to the 15,000 or so already on site.

“The [Japanese] are coming after us,” Spruance said, and they were bringing with them 28 destroyers, 5 battleships, 11 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 9 carriers (5 fleet, 4 light) with somewhere near 500 aircraft total.

The resulting engagement – the Battle of the Philippine Sea of June 19-20 – resulted in a decisive US victory that nearly eliminated Japan’s ability to wage war in the air.

By June 30, the 27th Infantry Division had swept through the hills and then down the valley where it finally destroyed the enemy.  Following fighting on the island, the Americans suffered 26,000 casualties (5,000 of which were deaths). Yet the American victory was decisive.

Japan’s National Defense Zone, demarcated by a line that the Japanese had deemed essential to hold in the effort to stave off US invasion, had been blown open. Japan’s access to scarce resources in Southeast Asia was now compromised. 

The cost of this campaign was great: over 16,500 casualties, including almost 3,500 killed.  The Marine units suffered close to 13,000 casualties.

Although the price for victory was high, the seizure of Saipan was a highly significant step forward in the advance on the Japanese home islands.  The island became the first B-29 base in the Pacific.  The war had reached a new turning point.

Some highly-placed Japanese felt that their defeat on Saipan signified the beginning of the end of the Empire. (Marine Corps University) (Lots of information here is from US Army, Navy and Marines, Department of Defense, Eisenhower Library and British Imperial War Museums.)

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