Company E far exceeded the simplistic expectations of “Americanization” that marked its beginning, and its men went on to prove what it meant to be truly American. 

In her September 16, 1943, My Day column, Eleanor Roosevelt reflects on her visit to Guadalcanal, where she witnessed the lasting impact of the sacrifices made by US soldiers.

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

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.” 

As 1943 turned to 1944, PT-305 departed New Orleans, and she would not be back for more than six decades.