US Marine Vs Japanese Soldier: Saipan, Guam, and Peleliu, 1944 - Paperbackby Gregg Adams (Author), Johnny Shumate (Illustrator) Fully illustrated, this book assesses the US Marines and Japanese troops fighting in three bloody battles of World War II in the Pacific. In June 1944, the United States military launched an offensive against the Japanese forces holding the Mariana Islands and Palau. The US Marine Corps played a vital role in this campaign alongside Army and Navy forces, while their Japanese opponents mounted a