Betio commemorates WW2 78th Anniversary
Betio communities, in partnership with the Betio Town Council (BTC) and the Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) commemorated the 78th anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa through a clean-up of World War 2 relics on the island of Betio, South Tarawa on 20 November 2021.
The Battle of Tarawa was fought on 20–23 November 1943 between the United States and Japan on Betio. It was part of Operation Galvanic, the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts and was the first large-scale encounter between US Marines and Japan’s Special Naval Landing Forces.
The war relics on Betio hold a significant place in Kiribati’s history and they serve as a reminder of one of the bloodiest encounters in the US’s World War 2 campaign in the Pacific.
These relics are scattered throughout Betio and the clean up program included the relics in Takoronga, Temakin and Read Beach sites. In addition, the communities also undertook a thorough clean-up of the Japanese and Korean monuments on the island.
TAK is responsible for the management of all World War 2 relics across Kiribati and is working closely with communities and local authorities to develop sustainable means of preserving them.
