Battle of Peleliu Series – video projection installation
Operation Stalemate II is the code used by American force fighting in the Japanese occupied Islands of Palau in 1944. The Pacific battles occurred throughout the pacific island rim, and were seen as a push to calming territories putting the Allied Forces closer to the Japanese territory. Fought between September 15, 1944 through November 27, 1944, the Battle of Peleliu marked a turn in the tides between the American and Japanese military. This battle saw the loss of thousands of lives on both sides. The victory, seized by the American forces, secured a strategic strong hold in the Pacific ocean and eliminated Japanese occupation in the Palau islands.
Stastitics:
Location
Peleliu Island, (currently) The Republic of Palau
7.00º N, 134º 15′ E
United States
1st Marine Division:
1,252 killed, 5,274 wounded or missing
81st Infantry Division:
542 killed, 2,736 wounded or missing
Total:
1,794 killed, 8,010 wounded or missing
Empire of Japan
10,695 killed
202 captured
17 tanks
These installations are in honor of the memory of those who fell during that battle and a reminder to myself of the history tied to my family heritage. This piece is about my father, a man who is a living example of the Japanese occupancy in Palau and the aftermath as the United States took over the territory after the military victory.
Work:
Operation Stalemate II, 2016, mixed media, 43in x 68in x 11in.
7.00º N, 134º 15′ E, 2016. mixed media, 86in x 75in x 72in.
Peleliu, 2016, mixed media, 14in x 14in
