Maaba Katirite

The Tourism Authority of Kiribati (TAK) collaborated with the U.S Embassy in Suva, Fiji to organize the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa in Betio, South Tarawa on November 22, 2023.

In a solemn dawn ceremony at the U.S. World War 2 memorial monument, The President of Kiribati, His Excellency Taneti Maamau and First Lady Teiraeng Maamau were joined by the U.S Ambassador to Kiribati, Her Excellency Marie Damour to pay their respect and remember the lives lost and affected by the Battle of Tarawa between the U.S and Japan Forces from 20 – 23 November 1943.

While addressing attendees, H.E Taneti Maamau said ”the Battle of Tarawa will long be remembered as the bloodiest battle in the Pacific campaign of WWll, where more than 5,000 lives were lost in just 4 days”. He added “only the veterans and civilians who were involved right here on this battle ground can explain the grinding realities that they had to endure in order for us to remain free to live our lives and proposer”.

In her speech, Ambassador Marie Damour said, “the Battle of Tarawa is remembered because of the extraordinary courage displayed by the U.S. Marines who fought here and the remarkable devotion of the Japanese defenders who died here.”

The commemoration also honoured an unidentified Marine whose remains was exhumed by member of History Flight, a Non-Profit organization dedicated to researching, recovering and repatriating America’s service members back to United States of America

Also in attendance were U.S. Government officials, representatives of the U.S Embassy in Suva, Fiji, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Veterans and families of the fallen Marines, Kiribati Government and Betio town council representatives.

TAK acknowledges that remembering the Battle of Tarawa is crucial for preserving history, honouring the contributions of veterans, learning valuable lessons, fostering cultural identity, and promoting a global perspective that emphasizes peace and cooperation. Visitors to Tarawa are encouraged to visit WWll relics and sites around Betio for a better insight and understanding of this important part of Kiribati’s History.

Butaritari Island in Kiribati commemorated the 80th anniversary of Te Kaukinangananga, the Battle of Butaritari (Makin), on Tuesday 21 November 2023 at Ukiangang. The event was attended by a visiting U.S.A Battlefield Tour group, U.S Embassy, Suva, Fiji personnel, officials from the Office of te Beretitenti (OB), Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives (MTCIC), government officials, and the people of Butaritari.

The event began with a March parade led by the Kiribati Police Service (KPS) and included pre- and primary school students and local communities. The children of Ukiangang Primary School then performed an re-enactment of the raid by the U.S. Army in November 1943.

In his official address to the Parade, U.S Army Lieutenant Colonel John-Paul Smock expressed how supremely impressed he was with the people of Ukiangang on their spirit of remembrance in keeping the memory of this important part of the island’s history alive.

Mr. Glenn Frizzell, 85 years old from the U.S.A, shared his impressions of the event. “I first attended this event 7 years ago and I am impressed at how involved the children of Butaritari honor the memory of the war,” he said.

Mr. Maretino Kamaunea, of Butaritari Island, shared his personal experience of the battle. “I was only 13 years old when the Americans raided our island in their assault on Japanese Forces in 1943,” he recalled. “We were made to dig caves to hide in. We remained in the cave for over 24 hours until we were certain that the fighting between the Americans and the Japanese had stopped.” He added, “there was only a small gap in which we could peek out from and we could tell the Japanese from the Americans by their boots.”

The event concluded with a sumptuous feast prepared by the people of Ukiangang.