U.S. Marines carry a wounded comrade on a stretcher across the shattered landscape of Kwajalein Atoll during the February 1944 battle to seize the Marshall Islands from Japanese forces. Official USMC Photo No. K-19 captures the human cost and physical devastation of amphibious assault warfare, as splintered palm groves and ruined defensive positions bear witness to the intensity of the fighting. The capture of Kwajalein was a pivotal step in the U.S. Central Pacific 'island hopping' campaign. Project: 218719