Peleliu

A Japanese tank on Peleliu - the same model as on the
San Francisco Maru in Truk Lagoon. Photo by Carl Kaiser.

"Adventure then cocktails"
- message on another diver's T-shirt

I was huddled on the boat, wearing a swimsuit and an orange cotton dress. I wished I had a rain jacket. Salt spray flew over the side of the boat, soaking me and the other passengers, and raindrops fell on us from above. Behind us, a bright orange sunset lit up the horizon, while in front of us, the sky grew dim. The captain navigated through countless rocky passages in the twilight, and when we finally reached the dock, we stood and applauded him. It had been a long, adventurous day.

Inside the Thousand Man Cave. Photo by Carl Kaiser.

There's an island in southern Palau called Peleliu, which was host to one of the bloodiest battles in WWII. Americans invaded using amphibious vehicles and seized the Japanese airfield on the island in 1944. The battle took months and resulted in thousands of casualties, and evidence of the battle remains on the island still today. Local inhabitants have returned, but outside the main town, there are Japanese tanks, rusted-out American amphibious vehicles, and the abandoned concrete-and-rebar headquarters building.

Carl and I used our chance while in Palau to see Peleliu. We took the hour-long boat ride with other travelers, did two dives, and then embarked on a land tour of the historical artifacts on the island. It was fascinating to see. We visited the beach where the American invasion was launched and the airfield they eventually seized. The most fascinating part for me was seeing the so-called Thousand Man Cave, a network of tunnels built by the Japanese on the northern end of the island. The tunnels enabled Japanese soldiers to rapidly and secretly reach new parts of Peleliu to emerge and surprise Americans. However, many of the Japanese ended up trapped inside when American fighters drove flaming vehicles into the cave entrances.

Peleliu has a rich history that was revealing to experience. Even as the weather worsened on our ride home, I was glad for the opportunity to visit the island.