Senator Kennedy attends the Anniversary of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands. During much of World War II Guadalcanal was a Japanese Stronghold. During an Allied campaign American soldiers fought to take control of the island and decrease Japanese strategic and armed dominance in the region.  

The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as Operation Watchtower, was a series of air, sea and land battles in the island nation. It was a sustained and prolonged campaign that broke the stronghold of the Japanese in the region and allowed for British and Australian personnel to bolster allied control. 

US Senator Caroline Kennedy travelled to Guadalcanal this month to pay remembrance at a special dawn service. Ms Kennedy’s father, the late US President John F Kennedy arrived in the Solomon Islands shortly after the six-month long Guadalcanal campaign. While out in a patrol boat he and his 12-man crew were rammed by a Japanese destroyer. The patrol boat caught fire, immediately killing 2 men before it sank. The rest of the crew, including Kennedy,  braved a five hour swim before spotting two Solomon Islanders in a canoe. They were Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa, two young men who were also allied scouts. Kennedy was able to write a message on a coconut husk and the two teenagers, at great personal risk, swam through enemy waters to get to an allied base miles away. They were able to alert another scout on their trip, who then sent other scouts and a canoe to the Americans. These brave Islanders rescued the future US President and his men. 

In her speech Senator Kennedy honoured the families of Kumana and Gasa. She said “countless Americans and Allied families have Solomon Islanders to thank for their survival.” 

It is a bittersweet acknowledgement. After the war, the Japanese and American troops left a legacy of unexploded munitions. These continue to be a risk to the Solomon people with many people having been killed or injured by these hidden explosives. 

From a timing perspective we have to acknowledge the ongoing focus on security the Pacific – particularly in the Solomon Islands. The Pacific continues to be a strategic stronghold for global powers who seek dominance in the region.