20 November 2020
77 years ago, today, the US Marines began two separate attack operations on the Japanese on the islands of Makin (Butaritari) and Tarawa in Kiribati known as “Operation Galvanic”. These lasted between 20 – 23 November 1943.
To commemorate the 77th anniversary of one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) is releasing a series of videos and personal interviews and accounts of I-Kiribati survivors of the 1943 battles of Tarawa and Makin.
Produced locally, the videos share very personal stories of trauma and survival by Ikiribati elders who witnessed the atrocities of the war firsthand as children.
TAK Head of Marketing, Ms. Sarah Teetu says that “the stories of the battle of Tarawa and Makin hold significant place in Kiribati’s history and the Tourism Authority of Kiribati will share this part of the destination’s history through the niche battlefield tourism market”.
Teetu adds that remnants of World War 2 are still visible throughout Kiribati today for battlefield travellers to visit and these include coastal guns, bunkers, and other artilleries.
Through its Reset Kiribati program, TAK has embarked on an effort to preserve war relics and promote battlefield tours to Kiribati.
