Having been spread over more land and involving more people than any other war in history, many believe that World War II is also the most historic war of history. There has never been a war of such importance and of such gigantic scale. The United States played an absolutely vital role in the outcome of this war. The United States was faced with the task of fighting two different wars at the same time, in two different places in the world. A measure that many countries have renounced. The European front was easily the more obvious of the two, given the undeniable chaos and evils committed by Adolf Hitler. United States involvement on the European front was inevitable and generally much easier for American forces to achieve. Having fought in Europe less than thirty years previously, the United States was familiar with the territory and the appropriate strategy. The Pacific Campaign of World War II provided an incomparable test for the American armed forces. American armed forces had never fought in the South Pacific or even in terrain resembling the conditions they would face in the Pacific islands. With the military deeply involved in Europe, by December 1941 the United States found itself stuck in a war it was not ready for and did not know how to fight. However, the United States Marine Corps was the ideal company for the type of combat it would face in the Pacific. The Marines had adequate training for land-sea combat. The Marine Corps' fighting in the Pacific gave the United States its only chance to defeat the Japanese army. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked America and bombed Pearl Harbor. This act of hostility toward America, p...... middle of paper ......shijima, a Japanese commander, launched a massive assault to back up his threat that resulted in nearly 5,000 Japanese casualties and a dead end. The suicide bombers continued to pound the U.S. Navy, causing them to question a potential victory. The whole war was in turmoil, but miraculously the Marines began to gradually break the powerful Japanese defense. Soon the Japanese became desperate as the United States began to win. Victory at Okinawa left Japan devastated and its army weak and tired. The Battle of Okinawa cost the Americans dearly, but the "never give up" attitude they all possessed helped them overcome all obstacles and emerge victorious. Without the incredible determination, superior strength, and relentless aggressiveness of the U.S. Marines during World War II, the United States might very well have lost the war..