Tropic Lightning

Credit: Spc. Kai Rodriguez | Date Taken: 06/29/2023
On Nov. 25, 1942, the 25th Infantry Division was ordered to the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands to seize the island from the remaining Japanese forces. Prior to the Division going on the offensive, The U.S. Marine Corps had gained valuable ground and had been staunchly defending against fierce Japanese counterattacks. By February 1943, U.S. Forces including Division Soldiers approached from the south and east, capturing the town of Tenaro at Cape Esperance, marking the end of organized Japanese resistance on the island. The unprecedented speed at which the division accomplished their mission turned the tide of the war in the Pacific earning them their nickname Tropic Lightning. (U.S. Army video by Spc. Kai Rodriguez/28th Public Affairs Detachment)