By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
A US Marine Corps aircraft has successfully landed on a newly rebuilt runway at a World War II era Japanese airfield on Peleliu, a Pacific island that was the site of one of the bloodiest battles for the Marines during the war. This redevelopment is part of a strategic initiative to counter China's influence in the region.
On June 22, a KC 130 Hercules transport aircraft touched down on the 6,000 foot runway, marking what the Marine Corps described as a "significant and triumphant return" to this historic site. For months, Marine engineers had been clearing the area of brush, trees, and any unexploded ordnance from the 1944 battle, in which over 1,500 US troops and nearly 11,000 Japanese soldiers were killed.
The rebuilt landing strip has been named "Sledge" runway in honor of Pfc. Eugene Sledge, a veteran of the Peleliu battle and author of the memoir “With the Old Breed, At Peleliu and Okinawa.” Sledge's vivid descriptions of the battle were also featured in the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.”
The Marine Corps emphasized that the new runway symbolizes both a tribute to WWII sacrifices and a step toward enhanced regional security and cooperation. This initiative aligns with the broader US strategy of countering China, which the Pentagon identifies as a significant threat. The goal includes establishing facilities in the Second Island Chain, locations sufficiently distant from China to complicate any potential attacks.
US Air Force Lt. Col. Grant Georgulis highlighted the strategic importance of places like Midway Island, the Marianas, Palau, and the Marshall Islands, suggesting that these locations should complement the fortified Guam. This stance is in response to the vulnerabilities of bases in the First Island Chain, such as those in Okinawa and the Philippines, which are within range of China's advanced military capabilities.
China has criticized the US's efforts to strengthen alliances in the Pacific, viewing them as attempts to curb its rise. Chinese state media has accused the US of forming global blocs to provoke confrontation and destabilize the world.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force has requested $400 million in its 2025 budget to extend the runway at Yap Island in the Federated States of Micronesia, a strategic location between Guam and Palau. Additionally, the US is reviving North Field on Tinian Island in the Northern Marianas, historically significant as the departure point for bombers that dropped atomic bombs in 1945.
Strengthening ties with Pacific island states is also part of the US strategy to prevent China from gaining a foothold in the region. Recent efforts include a bilateral defense agreement with Papua New Guinea and reopening an embassy in the Solomon Islands.
Palau, an archipelago in the western Pacific with about 20,000 residents, has had a compact of free association with the US since 1994. This agreement makes the US responsible for Palau's defense needs and allows Palauans to serve in the US military. In 2023, Palau signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement with the US, permitting the US Coast Guard to enforce laws within Palau's exclusive economic zone.
US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, during a visit to Palau's capital in March, reaffirmed the US commitment to Palau's security as part of a broader effort to maintain a free and open Indo Pacific. Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. has been vocal about China’s aggressive actions in the region, including its stance on Taiwan, which Palau diplomatically recognizes over Beijing.
In addition to the runway project, US Marines are also assisting in improving the Peleliu Civic Center Museum to preserve artifacts from the WWII battle. At a recent event marking the runway's reopening, Peleliu Governor Emais Roberts expressed gratitude to the US Defense Department for its support, emphasizing the benefits and sense of security provided by the US presence.