21 July 1944 Guam 3d Marine Division and 1st Provisional Marine Brigade assault the west coast of Guam and establish beachheads to the north and south of Orote Peninsula by the end of the day. Fighting would continue on Guam until the 3d Marine Division destroys and captures the last handful of Japanese tanks and reaches the northern coast on 10 August 1944. #OTD #WWII | National Museum of the Marine Corps

Assaulting the Marianas - The Battle of Guam 75th Anniversary July 21 - August 10, 1944 The Second Battle of Guam, which was originally scheduled to begin on June 18, 1944, actually began on July 21 due to the heavy fighting still raging on the nearby island of Saipan. Guam, a territorial possession of the United States since 1899, was captured by the Japanese on the morning of December 10, 1941. It would remain under Japanese control until American forces recaptured it after a 21-day campaign.