On November 24th 1943, the day after the Battle of Tarawa in the Pacific War ended, almost all of the Japanese soldiers had already been wiped out. The trenches on Betio Island were lined with the bodies of many Japanese soldiers.

    On November 24th 1943, the day after the Battle of Tarawa in the Pacific War ended, almost all of the Japanese soldiers had already been wiped out. The trenches on Betio Island were lined with the bodies of many Japanese soldiers. On November 23, when Betio Island was secured, the Japanese army was wiped out after fighting fiercely in four banzai charges and other attacks. On November 23, Betio Island was declared safe.

   A large force of about 35,000 men from the US Army's 2nd Marine Division and other units landed on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll on November 20, 1943. Due to the heavy casualties suffered by the 2nd Marine Division, the amphibious operation was reviewed. Landing craft were abandoned on the reef surrounding Betio, and the marines walked several hundred meters to the shore under heavy Japanese fire. Once on the shore, the marines secured a small beachhead by breaching the seawall. When the American Marines landed on Red Beach on Betio Island, they encountered fierce opposition from the Japanese.

  The Americans took Green Beach on November 21. The Americans invaded the island by pushing inland from the central airstrip, and secured the beach. The Marines achieved their greatest victory on the western Green Beach, and the Marines were able to quickly secure the beachhead thanks to naval bombardment.

   On November 22, as the Marines advanced eastward in Sherman tanks, Japanese machine-gun nests blocked the advance. On November 22, continuous American pressure from the north and west had pushed most of the remaining Japanese defenders into a small area east of the central runway. On the night of November 22, the Japanese gathered for a banzai charge against the American Marines.

    This was followed by a fourth Japanese banzai charge. On Red Beach, the Japanese fought fiercely on November 23, when the island of Betio was secured. By the morning of November 23, the remaining Japanese resistance on Betio Island was pushed into a small position on the eastern side of the island. By early afternoon on November 23, the American position reached the eastern tip of Betio Island. Betio Island was declared secure. Isolated groups of Japanese soldiers continued to appear for several weeks after the Battle of Tarawa. With the exception of 147 prisoners of war (most of whom were Korean laborers), the Japanese garrison of 4,690 was wiped out. Of the 1,021 American soldiers killed in the Battle of Tarawa, approximately 350 are still missing.