Battle of Saipan 75th Anniversary Commemoration at the WWII Memorial

On Saturday, June 15th at 11:30 a.m., the Friends of the National World War II Memorial will hold a brief ceremony and wreath presentation to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Saipan, "D-Day Pacific".

On June 15, 1944, more 8,000 U.S. Marines – supported by eleven U.S. Navy ships – landed on the west coast of Saipan in the Mariana Islands. The Battle of Saipan ended on July 9, 1944 with the defeat of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was a costly victory for the United States. Of the 71,000 Marines and soldiers that landed on the island over the course of the three-week battle, nearly 3,500 were killed and more than 10,000 wounded; but, it would prove to be one of the most significant moments during the war in the Pacific Theater and set the stage for victory in the Pacific. Due to the island's strategic position, one Japanese admiral later commented, "Our war was lost with the loss of Saipan.”

During the June 15th ceremony, World War II veterans will present wreaths at the Pacific Arch of the World War II Memorial in honor of the 71,000 Americans who served and in remembrance of the nearly 14,000 Americans killed, wounded or missing during the Battle of Saipan.

If you are a World War II veteran, or know of one, who would like to participate in the Battle of Saipan 75th Anniversary Commemoration at the Memorial, please email hrotondi@wwiimemorialfriends.org!

We hope you'll join us on June 15th at the WWII Memorial!

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial's WWII 75th Anniversary Commemoration is generously sponsored by AT&T.

Generous support has also been provided by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation and Worthington Industries.