A US Marine Corps aircraft recently landed on a rebuilt runway on the Pacific island of Peleliu, a site of one of the Marines' bloodiest battles during World War II. The KC-130 Hercules transport aircraft touched down on the 6,000-foot runway on June 22, marking a significant return to this iconic World War II location.
Marine engineers had been working for months to rebuild the runway, clearing brush, removing trees, and ensuring the area was free of unexploded ordnance from the war. Peleliu, part of the island country of Palau, witnessed over 1,500 US troops and nearly 11,000 Japanese casualties during the 1944 battle.
