HELL ON EARTH   Oct. 7th, 1944 -  

The men of the 1st Marine Division were told that the Peleliu Island assault 
was to be as easy as a landing exercise. Navy intelligence reported only a 
small garrison with no fortifications. They were wrong. On the morning of the 
7th, the marines were stunned to find the island not only defended by a full 
garrison, but the beaches heavily fortified. The landing sites were also full 
of coral rock, broken terrain and overlooked by cliffs. The first assault 
waves were soon bogged down and suffered heavily. It would take weeks of 
heavy fighting before the island would be secure.
