The provided text, “Pacific Theatre Part 7: Guadalcanal: a piñata of lies” by Lestrade aka Unpopular Opinion, argues that the Guadalcanal campaign was largely a fabricated propaganda exercise designed to achieve several objectives for the Elite. These objectives included justifying the existence of the Marine Corps, creating opportunities for war gaming and propaganda footage for the US public, drawing Australia into World War 2 and enabling Australian government shenanigans, and creating a narrative of defeating Japan through a costly land campaign.
The author claims the Solomon Islands invasion was faked, with much of it occurring in Fiji, featuring a “ghost airfield,” staged land and naval battles, and pointless bombing campaigns. The text highlights alleged inconsistencies and absurdities in the historical accounts, questioning the strategic importance of Guadalcanal and the Japanese presence there. It suggests that aircraft carriers could have easily dealt with any perceived threat from Guadalcanal.
The article delves into specific events, including the landings on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Gavutu-Tanambogo, questioning troop numbers, the effectiveness of Japanese defenses, and the reality of the battles fought. It critiques photographic evidence, suggesting manipulation and staging. The author highlights perceived logical flaws in military strategies and narratives, such as the Japanese purportedly abandoning airfields and supplies with minimal resistance, and the Allied forces’ alleged reliance on bad weather for surprise attacks.
The author also scrutinizes the accounts of battles like Alligator Creek, Bloody Ridge, and the Battle for Henderson Field, again pointing to discrepancies in casualty figures, photographic evidence, and troop movements. The text casts doubt on the ferocity and scale of these engagements, suggesting they were largely manufactured.
Furthermore, the article examines the fates of Japanese commanders and the purported sinking of numerous ships in Iron Bottom Sound, questioning the evidence and the discovery of wrecks. The author concludes that the Guadalcanal campaign, from start to finish, is a fabrication, and that no genuine encounters between the US and Japan have been presented. The piece is critical of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego for teaching what it deems “fairytales” about battles like Bloody Ridge and Iwo Jima.
The author also touches upon the Boshin War and Pearl Harbor, and references the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), United States Fleet, United States Marine Corps, Imperial General Headquarters, Japanese Army, Japanese Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), USAAF, US Navy, and South Sea Force. Locations mentioned include Papua New Guinea, Coral Sea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Antarctic, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, Wellington, Auckland, Suva, Cook Strait, China, Philippines, United Kingdom, East Coast of the Americas, West Coast of the Americas, New Guinea, Bougainville, Buka, Torokina Airfield, Simpson Harbor, New Britain, Wewak, Salamaua, Hansa Bay, Lunga Point, Matanikau River, Point Cruz, Taivu Point, Alligator Creek, Tenaru River, Ilu River, Mount Austen, Kokumbona, Cape Torokina, Java, and Truk lagoon. Companies or organizations mentioned include American Red Cross, British Solomon Islands Protectorate, SCAP, VULCAN Inc., and USC’s School of Public Policy. Names mentioned include Patricia O’Neill, Miles Mathis, Martin Luther King, Sir Mervyn King, Tojo, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ernest King, John F. Kennedy, Scooby Doo, Jacob Vouza, Sir Jacob Charles Vouza, Brigadier General William Rupertus, Captain Kanae Monzen, Lt. Col. Stanley Radzyminski MD, Martin Clemens, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin A. Pollock, General Alexander Vandegrift, Colonel Kiyonao Ichiki, Major General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, Lieutenant Colonel Merritt A. Edson, Oka, Kuma Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Kusukichi Watanabe, Major Yukichi Kokusho, Tamura, USS McKean, USS Manley, Gerald Thomas, James J. Keating, Captain Tex Smith, General Masatane Kanda, José Abad Santos, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa, Admiral Hiroake Abe, Shinzo Abe, Kishi, Kan Abe, Admiral Nobutake Kondō, Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, Admiral Jinichi Kusaka, Admiral Shōji Nishimura, Shinoda, Paul Allen, RV Petrel, John Bennett, Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka, General Hitoshi Imamura, General Harukichi Hyakutake, General Kiyotake Kawaguchi, Dr. Bob Ballard, Robert Kraft, USS Astoria, USS Quincy, USS Vincennes, USS Northampton, HMAS Canberra, USS Atlanta, USS Walke, IJN Ayanami, USS Dehaven, IJN Yudachi, IJN Fubuki, USS Laffey, USS Monssen, USS Barton, USS Cushing, USS Little, USS Preston, USS Juneau, Sullivan Brothers, IJN Kirishima, IJN Haruna, JonBenet, Masaaki Suzuki, Captain Shigetoshi Miyazaki, Commander Masaaki Suzuki, Miyazaki-san, and Miyazaki. Other references include World War 2, Boshin War, Pearl Harbor, Midway, Wake Island, Aleutians, Operation Watchtower, Operation Cactus, Operation Cartwheel, Operation FS, WW2 documentary series Battlefield, The Crucible, Raising the flag on Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima, Unit 731, Bitchute, Korean forced labourers, Tiger Moth, USS Utah, USS Yamashiro, USN, 1st Marine Division, Task Force 62, USMC, USAAF, US Navy, USMC Photo 52231, ONI, USNS Comfort, USNS Mercy, USNS Coral Sea, USNS Courageous, USNS Saratoga, USNS Midway, USNS Ranger, USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, USS Wasp, USS Lexington, USS Yorktown, USS San Juan, M3 Stuart tanks, A Company, 1st Tank Battalion, 60th Fighter Squadron, 67th Fighter Squadron, P-400 Airacobra, Kuma Battalion, Sendai, USS Fletcher, USS Jenkins, USS Halford, USS Bush, USS Sterett, USS Nicholas, USS De Long, USS Long, USS O’Bannon, USS Shaw, USS Lamson, USS Case, USS Farragut, USS Perkins, USS Smith, USS Alden, USS Selfridge, USS Reid, USS Henley, USS Conyngham, USS Cushing, USS Monssen, USS Little, USS Preston, USS Walke, USS Dehaven, USS Laffey, USS Barton, USS Fletcher, USS Mckee, USS Farragut, USS Maury, USS Hull, USS Gridley, USS Bagley, USS Reid, USS Smith, USS Henley, USS Conyngham, USS Perkins, USS Cassin, USS Downes, USS Shaw, USS Lamson, USS Little, USS Monssen, USS Cushing, USS Barton, USS Walke, USS Dehaven, USS Laffey, USS Preston, USS O’Bannon, USS Mckee, USS Selfridge, USS Sterett, USS Bush, USS Hull, USS Maury, USS Farragut, USS Alden, USS Smith, USS Perkins, USS Henley, USS Conyngham, USS Fletcher, USS Bagley, USS Gridley, USS Shaw, USS Downes, USS Cassin, USS Lamson, USS Cushing, USS Monssen, USS Little, USS Preston, USS Barton, USS Walke, USS Dehaven, USS Laffey, USS O’Bannon, USS Mckee, USS Selfridge, USS Sterett, USS Bush, USS Hull, USS Maury, USS Farragut, USS Alden, USS Smith, USS Perkins, USS Henley, USS Conyngham, USS Fletcher, USS Bagley, USS Gridley, USS Shaw, USS Downes, USS Cassin, USS Lamson, USS Cushing, USS Monssen, USS Little, USS Preston, USS Barton, USS Walke, USS Dehaven, USS Laffey, USS O’Bannon, USS Mckee, USS Selfridge, USS Sterett, USS Bush, USS Hull, USS Maury, USS Farragut, USS Alden, USS Smith, USS Perkins, USS Henley, USS Conyngham, USS Fletcher, USS Bagley, USS Gridley, USS Shaw, USS Downes, USS Cassin, USS Lamson, USS Cushing, USS Monssen, USS Little, USS Preston, USS Barton, USS Walke, USS Dehaven, USS Laffey, USS Astoria, USS Quincy, USS Vincennes, USS Northampton, HMAS Canberra, USS Atlanta, USS Juneau, Sullivan Brothers, IJN Kirishima, IJN Haruna, IJN Yamashiro.