ORGANISERS UNDER FIRE

A day into the event and organisers of 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal are facing heavy criticism for failing to include segments that would promote local war relic collectors.

Locals with sizeable genuine collections of World War 2 relics are reportedly being left out of the programme, including the renowned Solomon War Museum.

Spokesperson for Solomon War Museum Mr Andrew Fioga said preparations towards the event is a let-down for many because organisers have failed to communicate with local war relic collectors to be part of the event.

He stressed that there are lots of locals with collected and preserved war relics in and around Honiara, Guadalcanal and other provinces which visitors may want to see during the week-long event.

Mr Fioga said Solomon Islands has more to give in terms of showcasing the war relics left behind after the war.

He also says that the Battle of Guadalcanal 75th Anniversary is a very important event in the history of Solomon Islands and should be made a public holiday, questioning why the organisers and the government have not considered this.

“I suggests, this day should be a public holiday because it is part of our country’s history that even introduced in our schools’ curricular.

“Additionally, the battle of Guadalcanal is well recognised world-wide as the turning point of World War two battle in the pacific.

“We should be proud of this history as a country.”

A visit by this paper to the Solomon War Museum shows a wide range of items, from ammunitions to tooth brushes to heavy machine guns, used during the battle of Guadalcanal.

Solomon War Museum is located at Tandai, Lelei Resort, west of Honiara

Guadalcanal was the stage for one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific as a legendary battle raged on the shores of Solomon Islands during WWII.

This area played a crucial role for the allied offensive against Japan and became one of the turning points in the history of the war in the Pacific.

Japanese forces lost its first territory to the US as a result of six month fierce fighting with thousands of lives lost.

The crux of the Allied victory happened in Florida Island, at Tulagi and Red Beach on Guadalcanal on Aug 7, 1942 where – with simultaneous naval bombardments and amphibious landing – the expansion of the Japanese forces was put to a halt.

Today, the capital of Honiara stands on this battlefield, underneath the white sandy beaches and the azury waters lies a rich history of destruction.

The wreckage from the war is still littered across Solomon Islands.

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