Through a Glass Darkly: Palau's Passage Through War, 1944-1945

George, Karen R. (1995). "Through a Glass Darkly: Palau's Passage Through War, 1944-1945". ISLA: A Journal of Micronesian Studies. 3 (2): 313–338. ISSN 1054-9390.

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Abstract: On March 30, 1944, the violence of World War II reached the Palau Islands. Aircraft from US Navy carriers launched air strikes on Japanese installations in the island group. In September 1944 the southern islands of Angaur and Peleliu were invaded by US troops. The 183 Islanders remaining on Angaur took refuge in caves for over 3 weeks before emerging to live under American military government until the end of the war. The northern islands of Babeldaob and Koror were ‘‘bypassed”’ and “‘neutralized.’’ Marine aircraft based on Peleliu made regular daily strafing and bombing raids over the islands. Palauans on Babeldaob struggled for survival, enduring air strikes, famine, and increasing Japanese brutality. This article reconstructs these different experiences of war in Palau by integrating Palauan voices with American military records.