The World War II Battle of Guadalcanal was the first major offensive and a decisive victory for the Allies in the Pacific theater. With Japanese troops stationed in this section of the Solomon Islands, U.S. marines launched a surprise attack in August 1942 and took control of an air base under construction.
There is more history behind the Guadalcanal my great grandfather was one of the survivors of the USS Juneau.
I hope this helped though! :)