This fighting first started with Pearl Harbor. This attack on Hawaii lead to the US joining the war. With the US first defending in the Battle of Midway, they soon took the offense in the battle of Guadalcanal. This offense led to Japan losing land for the first time in WWII, leaving the Allies to gain this land. This offense continued in the Battle of Saipan, Philippine Sea, and finally the battle of Iwo Jima before finally entering the last battle, the Battle of Okinawa. This end to the war was one of the bloodiest battles fought. This battle also influenced a later decision by President Harry Truman. Casualties in the war, numbering in over 140,000 Allied/Civilian casualties, he decided that an invasion of Japan would hurt them greatly. Instead, he integrated the new technology of nuclear bombs into his plan, and bombed to cities in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This soon lead the Japanese to surrender, which officially ended the war at