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Why Does The US Have Forces In Palau In 2022?
The past meets the future on the islands of Palau
The United States fought one of the toughest and bloodiest battles of World War II on the island of Peleliu. The United States suffered thousands of casualties at the hands of the Japanese garrison at the end of 1944. The entire island measures just five square miles making the final casualty count at 4,800 per square mile between the Japanese and the Americans. The battle elicited a lot of criticism due to the high body count and the seemingly negligible strategic value of the small coral island.
Fast forward nearly 80 years, and the United States is once again deployed to the islands around Peleliu. Recent reports show that an advanced air wing made up of A-10 Warthog attack craft has deployed to Palau.
After the conclusion of World War II, the United States organized a new vast administrative territory in the Pacific that stretched from Midway to the Carolines. Palau is one nation that emerged from that administrative body. Today, Palau is a small island nation made up of just 19,000 people.
Even during World War II, people questioned the strategic value of Palau. Today, the independent nation is remote and keeps to itself.
