A US Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft landed on a newly rebuilt runway on the Pacific island of Peleliu, a historic World War II battlefield.
The 6,000-foot runway was restored by Marine engineers, who spent months clearing brush, removing trees, and ensuring the area was free of unexploded ordnance.
The landing on June 22 marks a potential strategic basing option for the US in efforts to counter China.
More than 1,500 US troops and nearly 11,000 Japanese were killed during the Battle of Peleliu between August and November of 1944.
According to the US Naval History and Heritage Command, some Japanese soldiers remained hidden in the island’s jungle and were not discovered until two years after World War II ended. The 1st Marine Regiment suffered particularly heavy losses, with 70% casualties in just six days of fighting.
The Marines have named the rebuilt landing strip “Sledge” runway in honor of Pfc. Eugene Sledge, a mortarman who fought on Peleliu.
Sledge documented his experiences in the memoir “With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa,” which was later depicted in the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.”
Eugene Sledge described Peleliu as “an alien, unearthly, surrealistic nightmare like the surface of another planet.” Now, the newly named “Sledge” runway honors WWII sacrifices while also serving a strategic purpose.
According to the Marine Corps press release, the runway “bridges the past and the future,” enhancing regional security and cooperation.
This regional security focus is primarily aimed at countering China, which the Pentagon identifies as its “pacing threat.”
Mitigating the threat posed by China involves building facilities that allow the US to disperse assets like aircraft in the event of hostilities, particularly in the Second Island Chain.
These locations are far enough from the Chinese mainland to make it difficult for Beijing to strike them.
The First Island Chain, which includes areas like Okinawa in Japan and US bases in the Philippines, is deemed “neither a survivable nor viable operating location” due to the capabilities of Chinese long-range bombers, cruise missiles, and theater ballistic missiles, according to US Air Force Lt. Col. Grant Georgulis in a 2022 commentary on the US Defense Department website.
“Thus, the United States should prioritize Midway Island, the Marianas, Palau, and the Marshall Islands to complement an already fortified Guam,” Georgulis wrote.
China has been highly critical of Washington’s alliance-building efforts in the Pacific, perceiving them as an attempt to curb Beijing’s ascent as a military and economic superpower. This criticism underscores the strategic tensions between the US and China in the region.
Beijing has long felt constrained by the US presence in the First and Second Island Chains. Under leader Xi Jinping, China has become more assertive in regional waters and confrontational with neighbors like Japan and the Philippines.
Additionally, China has been working to strengthen its own diplomatic and security ties across the Pacific region.
“In a bid to protect its hegemony, the United States is forming blocs globally to target specific countries, provoke confrontation and destabilize the world,” China’s state-run Xinhua news agency wrote in a recent editorial.
“It claims to protect its allies under mutual defense treaties, but in reality, the treaties serve as a tool to subordinate them to the superpower and push them to the forefront of conflicts.”
Meanwhile, on Yap island in the Federated States of Micronesia, the US Air Force has requested $400 million in its 2025 budget to extend the runway at the island’s international airport, which is also a former Japanese military airfield. This extension will enable its use by US military aircraft.
Additionally, the US is reviving North Field on Tinian island in the Northern Marianas, the departure point for the US bombers that dropped the atomic bombs in August 1945. These efforts are part of the broader strategy to strengthen positions in the Second Island Chain.
“The United States must focus like a laser on the need for air superiority in the Pacific region. The United States must recapitalize islands gained during World War II to form a Second Island Chain of strategic expeditionary points,” Georgulis wrote.
For Washington, establishing strong ties with Pacific island states is a strategy to prevent China from gaining footholds in the region.
The Biden administration has signed a bilateral defense agreement with Papua New Guinea and reopened an embassy in the Solomon Islands since early 2023.
Palau, a remote archipelago of coral and volcanic islands in the western Pacific with a population of about 20,000, has been under a compact of free association with the United States since 1994.
This agreement makes Washington responsible for Palau’s defense needs and allows Palauans to serve in the US military.
Last year, Palau signed a bilateral law enforcement agreement with the United States, allowing the US Coast Guard to enforce laws within Palau’s exclusive economic zone without the presence of a Palauan officer.
US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro visited Palau’s capital of Koror in March as part of a Pacific trip that also included stops in two key US allies, Japan and South Korea.
During his visit, Del Toro emphasized that Washington’s partnership with Palau “directly supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
This statement underscores the US commitment to enhancing security and cooperation in the region, particularly amidst strategic challenges posed by China.
“I can assure you that the United States remains committed to Palau’s national security,” Del Toro said during a trip that also included a visit to the Peleliu island runway work.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. has openly criticized China’s assertive actions in the region, particularly towards Taiwan. Palau maintains diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, distinguishing it from the majority of countries that recognize Beijing.
In addition to the runway project, US Marines are contributing to improvements at the Peleliu Civic Center Museum to preserve artifacts from the World War II battle.
During an event last month commemorating the Marine aircraft landing on Peleliu, island Governor Emais Roberts expressed gratitude to the US Defense Department for its ongoing efforts and support in the region.
“Our small island community has benefitted immensely with the US Marine presence. We value the great partnership, and we feel safe and protected with the support of the greatest country in this world.”
