THE GREATEST HARDSHIP - MICRONESIAN MEMORIES OF WORLD-WAR-II

This article discusses World War II in Japanese Micronesia through ora l accounts of Islanders who experienced the war years. Although wartim e conditions varied throughout the area, most stories refer to World W ar II as ''the greatest hardship'' ever endured. The prewar context of Japanese Micronesia and the wartime strategies used by American and J apanese combatants are reviewed briefly, and then we focus on Micrones ians' memories of their wartime experiences. Briefly considered in the conclusion are the lessons of World War II for Micronesians 50 years after the war's end.