Athens man to speak on 'The Green Hell' battle of World War II

Rod Davis, an Athens man who has visited World War II battlefield sites in Europe nine times and recently traveled to war sites in the Pacific, will speak about a famous battle at 3 p.m. June 2 at the Oconee County Library at Wire Park on Barnett Shoals Road in Watkinsville.

“Guadalcanal – The Green Hell” will be topic of Davis’ lecture, which is open to the public.

The talk covers the 1st Marine Divisions three battles to protect Henderson Field, the U.S. airfield that became key to an American victory during WWII.

According to Davis, “U.S. forces had to contend with one of the most inhospitable environments on earth.”

The battle involved 60,000 American troops and 43,000 Japanese troops.

Davis, a native of West Virginia, has lived in Athens since 1967 and is retired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after 42 years.

Oconee Library:Community gathers for Oconee County Library grand opening