Hello, thank you so much for joining me today for Give Him 15, a very important day.

The title of this Memorial Day Post is The Last Full Measure of Devotion.

In my book, The Way Back, I share the following. I recently read an account of American

warriors who fought in the battle for Betayo Beach during World War II. It was imperative that

America take this beach. The odds against us doing so, however, were great.

The results of the battle were horrific, hearts of our men heroic. In his book, Looking for America,

Douglas Simpson states concerning our soldiers, never before in the history of warfare,

have men been asked to face such withering fire before them with only the cold sea behind

to which to retreat. The enemy, knowing the importance of this location,

had hand-picked 6,500 of their finest soldiers and placed them in fortified positions

from which to defend the beach. When the battle began, it was terrible.

Our men were cut in half by the firepower. Seventy-five of the 125 landing crafts were destroyed.

The waters of the lagoon turned crimson. Hundreds of bodies bobbed in the surf,

with hundreds more littering the beach. The Marines suffered 3,000-plus casualties, but still kept attacking. Of those who reached the pier,

many did so by walking on the submerged bodies of their fallen comrades. By the end of the second day,

Colonel Schup,

commander of the Marine Landing Forces,

radioed to headquarters, quote,

casualties many,

percentage dead unknown,

combat efficiency, we are winning."

Though the battle was costly, our Marines took the beach.

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