Military Snapshots - Bougainville

During "Operation Cherry Blossom," U.S. Marines landed on the shores of Bougainville to both confusion and a spirited Japanese defense. Here, several squads of the 1st Battlion, 3d Marines (1/3) charge ahead and fan out to secure the coconut grove just back of Cape Torokina. Official USMC Photo from New Georgia, Bougainville, and Cape Gloucester: The U.S. Marines in World War II by Eric Hammel.