Death Tide at Tarawa

It was perhaps the bloodiest battle of a bloody campaign. More than 6,000 U.S. Marines gave their lives to capture a South Seas atoll smaller than New York's Central Park. Afterwards, asked if morale had ever flagged during the fight, a Japanese prisoner said ""Yes, when the dying Marines just kept coming."" Revisit this costly campaign through incredible battlefield footage and riveting interviews with the men who left behind friends and blood on the tiny island. Generals Bill Jones and Mike Ryan recall the horror of the 1,000-yard wade to shore under accurate enemy fire, and the vicious fighting to clear the Japanese from their emplacements. But was Tarawa one of the Marines finest hours, or a tragic blunder? Explore the evidence with leading historians and noted war correspondent Robert Sherrod.