Some of the most intense fighting of World War II occurred in the Solomons. The most significant of the Allied Forces' operations against the Japanese Imperial Forces was launched on August 7, 1942 with simultaneous naval bombardments and amphibious landings on the Florida Islands at Tulagi and Red Beach on Guadalcanal. The Battle of Guadalcanal became an important and bloody campaign fought in the Pacific War as the Allies began to repulse Japanese expansion. Of strategic importance during the war were the coastwatchers operating in remote locations, often on Japanese held islands, providing early warning and intelligence of Japanese naval, army and aircraft movements during the campaign. Sergeant-Major Jacob Vouza was a notable coastwatcher who after capture refused to divulge Allied information in spite of interrogation and torture by Japanese Imperial forces. He was awarded a Silver Star by the Americans. Islanders Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana would be noted by National Geographic for being the first to find the shipwrecked John F. Kennedy and his crew of the PT-109. They suggested using a coconut to write a rescue message for delivery by dugout canoe, which was later kept on his desk when he became the president of the United States.
The U.S. employment of tanks in Guadalcanal was hampered by the nature of the terrain. The Solomon Islands was one of the major staging areas of the South Pacific and was home to the legendary VMF-214 "Black Sheep" Squadron commanded by Major Greg "Pappy" Boyington. The Slot was a name for New Georgia Sound, when it was used by the Tokyo Express to supply the Japanese garrison on Guadalcanal. As of 2006 the majority 552,438 people on the Solomon Islands are ethnically Melanesian (94.5%). Polynesian (3%) and Micronesian (1.2%) are the two other significant groups.[14]
Loloma Foundation Supporters Open Their Hearts
$650 donated in flood relief effort by Bob Sykes
Vinaka friends. In January our team found itself in the midst of the worst flooding in Fiji’s recent history. In a special edition of this newsletter, Flood Relief Newsletter, we asked supporters to donate to help with extraordinary costs of a rural population dealing with this crisis. The generosity was heartwarming. Within a week, we received $650 for emergency relief from various supporters.
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Medical Equipment Manufacturers Donate Equipment
Sonosite, ConMed and Gore Open their Hearts by Eileen Natuzzi MD
It is indeed heart warming that several medical manufacturing corporations have stepped in with the donation or "loan" of very expensive medical equipment for our continuing work in the South Pacific.
What does your Donation Buy?
$10.00 Will buy enough pencils to stock a rural primary school in Fiji for all children for half a school year $25.00 Will buy enough notebooks to stock a rural primary school in Fiji for all children for half a school year $50.00 Will purchase enough topical antibiotics for one nursing station for 1 month. $100.00 Will purchase 100 double walled boxes for clinic delivery $500.00 Will purchase one case of bandaids $1,000.00 Will purchase a case of bandages $5,000.00 Will pay for the cost of shipping one 20 ft. container full of medical supplies
We Need your Donation!
Donate Now We need your help to pay for some of our “hard” expenses in the pending mission to the Solomol Islands. Whatever you can donate at www.lolomafoundation.org/donate will make a significant difference.
Some of the most intense fighting of World War II occurred in the Solomons. The most significant of the Allied Forces' operations against the 
