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Against terrible odds, strategically-located Wake Island was defended by a handful of brave Americans during the opening days of our involvement in World War II in December, 1941. Isolated and alone against the might of the Japanese Navy, this intrepid group held their own on land and in the air for weeks, repulsing an amphibious invasion, sinking a destroyer and downing many Japanese aircraft. The island fell after a month of fierce resistance and its surviving defenders taken prisoner or summarily executed. Their sacrifice bought America precious time and inspired the nation.