Prisoners Of War From Wake Island example essay topic

308 words
World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945. It killed more people, destroyed more property, disrupted more lives, and had more consequences than any other war in history. It brought about the downfall of Western Europe as the center of world power and led to the rise of the Soviet Union. The development of the atomic bomb during this war opened the nuclear age as well. Military deaths probably totaled about 17 million. It all started when Germany invaded Poland.

Eventually there would be two major alliances called the Axis and the Allies. The United States entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor December 9, 1941, shortly after the Japanese understood that capturing the islands of Wake and Guam would prevent Americans from launching air attacks on the Japanese- held islands of Marshall and Gilbert. This strategy would also block American supplies to the Philippines and provide a base for the invasion of Midway. Wake Island is in the North Pacific Ocean and is a total of only 6.5 square kilometers about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, D.C. An important air and naval base was constructed there in 1940 - 41. On December 23, 1941 the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end of World War II. The Marines and civilians of Wake Island were held prisoners by the Japanese for about 3 and a half years.

These men went through beatings, witnessed slaughters, starved, and then on top of being in bad health had to work from sunup to sundown. The food was bad made from fish heads and guts. My interview is with my great Uncle Gene and he was one of these prisoners of war from Wake Island.