Peleliu Island, located on South Palau, has about 20 km surface area. There used to be the biggest air force base in Pacific. The island involved in the war on September 1944. Japan and the United States fought bitterly to take advantage on Philippine.
As you know, the United States won. But they took even 73 days to capture the island with 300 battle ships though Japanese army on the island was only 12,000 soldiers and they didn't have enough supply.

The Japanese dwindled in number to less than 60 soldiers by Nov.24th. Nakagawa (colonel), Murai (major general) and Iida (first lieutenant) killed themselves by cutting their stomach. Other soldiers, all injured, attacked the U.S. NAVY. They knew it would be final attack. They knew it was the only thing they had to and could do. By 27th, they all died.
Col. Nakagawa sent telegram to central office of Palau to let them know all classified documents had been burned.
The telegram said ''*Sakura Sakura"

*Sakura, which means cherry blossom, is national flower of Japan. It has special meaning for the Japanese.

According to the book written by Admiral Nimitz, he wondered why he had so many casualties to capture Peleliu Island. Their losses were 40%, more than 10,000 casualties though they had the command of the air and the sea.
The battle for Peleliu was one of the bloodiest of the Pacific War. The blue sea became orange by being covered with blood. That's why the beach was called "Orange Beach". Now, it is a formal name of the beach.