Marines Land on Guadalcanal

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MARINES GAIN HOLD ON 3 SOLOMON ISLANDS; SHIPS AND PLANES WA BITTER FIGHTS 29 APOLIS Marines landn Guadaloana Aug. 7, 1942 17 1992 46206 Chis lalle IN INDIAN

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MARINES LAND ON GUADALCANAL First Day of Issue: August 17, 1992 First Issue Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Taking the offensive in the Pacific theater for the first time, Americans paid dearly during the bitterly contested cam- paigns of Guadalcanal. In July of 1942, the Japanese began constructing an airfield on Guadalcanal which would solidify their control of the Solomon Islands and provide a clear path to Australia. Mindful of these possi- bilities, American forces invaded the island on Aug. 7 and within a few hours captured the air base and renamed it Henderson Field. Controlling it and the surrounding islands would be another matter, as the Battle of Savo Island, two days later, proved. Patrolling the area off Savo Island on the morning of Aug. 9, two U.S. cruiser groups came under attack from what was deemed an inferior Japanese force. In one hour, the Japanese sunk four heavy cruisers, one destroyer and killed 1,270 men. Back on Guadalcanal the marines began to fan out, fighting through the hot, malaria-infested jungle. Six months later, the Americans could claim victory. No. 92-109 First Day of Issue Postcard Collection™ ©1992 Fleetwood® Cheyenne, WY 82008-0001 Original painting for the First Day of Issue Postcard by Chris Calle Heetwood