World War II
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The 1st Defense Battalion departed San Diego on board the USS William P. Biddle (APA-8) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) arriving at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in mid-February 1941. On 10 March 1941 a portion of the battalion, designated Detachment A, arrived at Palmyra Island, where they immediately began construction of barracks and gun emplacements. In July 1941 the battalion sent another detachment from Pearl Harbor, this time to Johnston Island. The Marine detachment, 1st Defense Battalion, Wake Island, was organized on 8 August 1941 at Honolulu, Hawaii, on board the [SS Regulus]
(USS Regulus (AK-14) - Wikipedia). The detachment arrived at Wake Island on 19 August 1941.[1]
The ’96 Krag Carbine (above) and its counterpart long rifle (below) saw their most active service in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. (Photo by Philip Schreier)
