Military history author Col. Jon T. Hoffman (Ret. USMC) and two Marine Raider veterans will discuss the elite unit’s role following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, 70 years to the date of the attack.
Because manpower and resources were severely restricted in the Pacific, the Marine Corps was tasked with forming a special commando unit to conduct raiding operations. The resulting units, known as the Marine Raiders, participated in some of the most famous battles of WWII: Tulagi, Guadalcanal and Bougainville.
Col. Hoffman, in addition to other books, is the author of “From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War” (1995) and “Once a Legend: ‘Red Mike’ Edson of the Marine Raiders” (2001). Two Marine Raider veterans from Illinois, Harold Berg and Ralph Burlingham, will accompany Hoffman and reflect on their personal experiences.
