In November of 1943, U.S. Marines landed on Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands and met a Japanese force of 4,500 who fought nearly to the last man. Nearly two thousand Marines and Navy personnel were killed. Leon Cooper was one of the Navy officers who landed Marines on the island and never forgot the carnage he witnessed. Along with documentary filmmaker Steve Barber, Cooper returned to the island in February, 2008 to check out reports that garbage littered the battlefield. While there, he learned that hundreds of American dead remain on the island in graves that receive no care. The film, Return to Tarawa: The Leon Cooper Story is part of an effort to give proper respect to the fallen heroes of World War II. You can watch it for free on hulu.com at the link below.
I heard your "Return to Tarawa" this morning. As a retired Marine I am disgusted that our government has allowed the bodies of fallen Marines to remain on Tarawa. They must be brought home.