Eleven months after witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor, Harold Ward stood watch aboard the USS San Francisco as the heavy cruiser "steamed right into a mess."

Museum Distance Learning Manager Chrissy Gregg and Richard Frank, author of Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle, kick off an online learning series dedicated to the 75th anniversary of a pivotal battle in the Pacific war. 

With its position in the South Pacific, Guadalcanal was an ideal location for a Japanese airfield that could threaten vital US sea lanes to Australia.

With its position in the South Pacific, Guadalcanal was an ideal location for a Japanese airfield that could threaten vital US sea lanes to Australia.

With its position in the South Pacific, Guadalcanal was an ideal location for a Japanese airfield that could threaten vital US sea lanes to Australia.