HALSEY'S AGGRESSION AND STRATEGIC DEBATES Colleague
Craig Symonds. Fearing the loss of
Guadalcanal,
Nimitz replaced the cautious
Ghormley with
Bill Halsey, whose aggressive "Kill Japs" attitude boosted morale. While
Nimitz valued
Halsey's pugnacity for "cavalry charges," he recognized the risks of his temperament.
Halsey surprisingly bonded with General
Douglas MacArthur, despite the rivalry between the
Navy's Central Pacificstrategy and the
Army's push to return to the
Philippines. This strategic divide required a summit with President
Roosevelt in
Hawaii to resolve whether to island-hop toward
Formosa or support
MacArthur's pledge to liberate the
Philippines. NUMBER 4
1945 1ST
MARINES.OKINAWA