Brian, it could be we were on the same flight to Tarawa and there certainly weren't many but for those of us not fortunate enough to have visited then check it out on the web.
Tarawa was the scene of the US forces first attempted ground forces landing in the Pacific and the defences after a couple of days naval and airborne bombardment were assumed to have been neutralised. Not so and after a cock up with the tides the US forces were stuck on the coral 200 yards out and they became an easy target. The landing craft remain rusting on the coral. I have a collection of pics but they are not appropriate for this thread. The beaches, jungle and many other areas still boast all the detritus of battle, tanks, shore guns (taken by the Japs from Singapore and manufactured in UK) and many items like helmets, weapons etc continue to be unearthed on a regular basis. Huge, huge American losses.
