Underscoring its ferocity, future commandant of the Marine Corps General Clifton Cates argued that “the fight for Peleliu was one of the most vicious and stubbornly defended battles of the war.” 

The National WWII Museum’s new original special exhibit, Come Back Fighting: USS New Orleans at War, follows the prolific history and remarkable resilience of the decorated heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32) and her veteran crew that mirror the indomitable spirit of her namesake city.

Despite the restrictions on ranks, force strength, and combat, the 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act still represented a major step in women’s military participation. Most significantly, it allowed women to pursue military service as a career. 

In the midst of the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans launched Operation Nordwind, a lesser-known but significant offensive in Alsace in January 1945.

While Peleliu remains a fixture of Pacific war memory, Morotai is overlooked and virtually forgotten in histories of the Pacific theater.