The War: May-Sept. 1944 (Continued)

August 25 Allies liberate Paris; 31 Soviets enter Bucharest; 1 U.S. forces secure Tinian; 3 Stillwell's troops secure Myitkyina; 8 Japanese capture Hengyong, China; September 4 British take Antwerp; 8 First V2 strikes England; 12 U.S. forces cross German frontier near Aachen; 12 Allies breach Gothic Line - Italy; 17-26 Operation Market Garden, Allied airborne attack to seize Rhine, bridge at Arnhem falls; 22 Soviets take Tallinn (Estonia); Heavy fighting at Tarawa impressed U.S. Marines and from here on the saying was "Golden Gate in Forty Eight!); 4 Japanese seize U.S. Airbase at Lingling (China); 9-14 U.S. carrier planes sink 59 Japanese ships in the Philippines; 15-Oct. 14 U.S. forces take Peleliu; 23 U.S. forces occupy Ulithi atoll.
Tarawa changed our attitude as to how long the war would last. The Japanese fought bravely and hard. Golden Gate in '48 seemed realistic when we considered how fanatical the Japanese would fight to protect their homeland. It was at this point that our thinking was that all forces would take a heavy death toll to occupy Japan, with many wounded. It was disappointing that the war might last until 1948, but we had to more on. We weren't at that stage yet.