Joseph Hammond Alexander (13/13) Across The Reef: The Marine Assault On Tarawa

Описание: ACROSS THE REEF: THE MARINE ASSAULT ON TARAWA.....
Tarawa Atoll is 2085 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor and 540 miles southeast of Kwajalein in the Marshalls. Betio is the principal island in the atoll. The Japanese seized Tarawa from the British within the first three days after Pearl Harbor. In August 1943, to meet in secret with Major General Julian C. Smith and his principal staff officers, Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance flew to New Zealand from Pearl Harbor. Spruance told the Marines to prepare for an amphibious assault against Japanese positions in the Gilbert Islands in November. General Smith’s operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel David M. Shoup, studied the primitive chart of Betio and saw that the tiny island was surrounded by a barrier reef.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY.....
Joseph Hammond Alexander (January 24, 1938 – September 28, 2014) was a Colonel of the United States Marine Corps and historian.
Alexander obtained master's degrees in history and national defense from North Carolina, Georgetown and Jacksonville Universities. He also graduated with distinction from the Naval War College.

When Alexander retired, he began a whole new career as a military history writer. He worked with Lou Reda Productions as chief historian and scriptwriter for their documentaries, which were aired on the History Channel of the Arts and Entertainment Network. He resided in Asheville, North Carolina. He was a member of the board of Habitat for Humanity and volunteered as a home builder. He died at the age of seventy six in Asheville, North Carolina.

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