Pacific Combat Photos

Images by Jim Heupel,
J Heupel Photography

This photo gallery is devoted to World War II, specifically combat in the Pacific theater of operations, as depicted through the National Museum of the Pacific War (Admiral Nimitz Museum) and the reenactment of the Battle of Tarawa through the Museum’s living history program. Most of the images have been converted to black and white, to simulate the photographs of combat photographers and correspondents in World War II.

The photos depict the reenactment of a small portion of that battle and include authentic American and Japanese uniforms and accessories, weapons, heavy combat vehicles, flame thrower and pyrotechnics. On about one acre of land is recreated a portion of the Japanese-held island of Betio in the Tarawa atoll, with cement block bunkers, buttressed seawalls to prevent LVT’s from crossing the shore line, Japanese howitzer and anti-aircraft emplacements, and a sunken Japanese pillbox with adjacent firing positions—giving a complete field of fire against any enemy trying to attack the island. It is here the Battle of Tarawa is recreated on approximately 6 weekends a year.

This gallery, as with the National Museum of the Pacific War, is intended to honor those men who served and sacrificed for America in the Pacific Theater during World War II. I also want to honor the Museum, its staff, and the myriad of volunteers who make this living history program a success, helping to educate the generations of men, women and children that have come after the heroic men of World War II.