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| Tarawa, Gilbert-Islands WWII 1943 (Brittanica) |
Inside the U.S. effort in a battle of the airwaves during the Pacific campaign of World War II
We can't fully appreciate the importance of news from home to those who served in World War II. In the Pacific campaigns, G.I.s, sailors and Marines fought bloody island-hopping battles; as each island was cleared, garrison troops and hospitals moved in and carried on their own war against mosquitoes, isolation and boredom. The island fighters were fortunate if dated mail caught up with them before they moved on to the next target. Timely personal-level communications were pretty much absent.
Radio programming from America was available but only on shortwave. And shortwave radios were not generally available.
Additional story at Radio World: https://tinyurl.com/y4cf74k7