re: WWII Buffs – what was the most audacious action by a US unit in the war?

Also lost in the pacific theater firewroks was the Atoll of Tarawa action, Gilbert Islands, November 20 to 24, 1943.

People focus on Iwo Jima, Guadacanal, etc, while this action was paramount to reinforcing the region and letting us have a bigger foothold for supplies and aircraft.

The Huey landing craft got caught up on the Coral Reefs, making these marines abandon their boats a few hundred yards from shore. They had to wade in chest deep water into machine gun and sniper fire to take the small beach heads. They could have abandoned the attack due to the conditions, but pressed on and took the beaches with probably 50% of their possible forces. My gramps told me they looked at those cats in awe when they reinforced their unit.

2nd Marines baby. Badasses.