This Day in American Military History

14 September 1944: The 1st Marine Division landed on the Pacific island of Peleliu as part of a more extensive operation to support Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s planned invasion of the Philippines. The nine-week battle would result in an American victory, but its strategic value would later be questioned, particularly given the high number of casualties: 10,786 killed or wounded. The National Museum of the Marine Corps calls it “the bitterest battle of the war for the Marines.”

Brandus, Paul. This Day in U.S. Military History (p. 225). Bernan Press. Kindle Edition.