TARAWA, Kiribati — Master Sgt. James M. Fawcett got on his knees and gently mixed his father's ashes with sand on the same Pacific beach where the elder Fawcett fought his way ashore 65 years ago.

Maj. James L. Fawcett died in September at the age of 89. He wanted his ashes taken to the spot where half of his 50-man platoon were killed during the first two hours of the Battle of Tarawa, one of World War II's most brutal battles.

"What a great way to end a great life," the younger Fawcett said yesterday after he fulfilled his father's wish. He was "a guy that was just an incredible hero and an incredible father."

Fawcett later joined a ceremony observing the 65th anniversary of the Nov. 20, 1943, start of the three-day battle. The United States aimed to take Tarawa from Japan, which had controlled the island since Tokyo ousted the British three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The fight for the tiny atoll halfway between Hawai'i and Australia was the U.S. military's first major amphibious assault in World War II.

Victory gave the United States control of a critical airfield it used to launch planes to bomb new Japanese targets and spy on Japanese positions. It also taught the Navy and Marine Corps crucial lessons in amphibious warfare that would help the United States take island after island as it pushed west across the Pacific to defeat Japan and end the war.

But the gains came at great cost. More than 990 U.S. Marines and some 680 sailors died, while almost 2,300 were wounded. Only 17 of the 3,500 Japanese troops — and 129 of the 1,200 Korean laborers forcibly brought to Tarawa by Japan — survived.

"The battle that unfolded here was one of staggering sacrifice, almost inconceivable challenge," Adm. Timothy J. Keating, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said at the ceremony marking the anniversary. "Their courage and commitment and sense of honor inspired a nation."

Four Medals of Honor — the nation's highest award for combat valor — were earned at Tarawa, one of them posthumously. Thirty-four Navy Crosses, the Navy's second-highest award for valor, were issued along with some 250 Silver Stars.

The United States had expected to significantly weaken the Japanese positions with long-range bombers and sorties launched from aircraft carriers before the Marines landed. Battleships and cruisers lobbed shells.

The Americans planned to have 3,000 Marines on the beach in 30 minutes, followed by 6,000 more hours later. Instead, the Marines took hours getting ashore, and lost hundreds of men doing so.

The United States made two especially costly mistakes. One was dramatically underestimating how many Japanese would survive their aerial bombardments. The other was misreading the tides, causing U.S. transport boats to get stuck on the reef. Many Marines were mowed down by Japanese machine-gun fire when they were forced to abandon the boats and wade ashore.

After assessing the results of Tarawa, U.S. commanders decided they would need more amphibious troops to invade Kwajalein and nearby islands. They also determined they would need to drop precision bombs over long periods to take out the concrete bunkers that had protected Japanese troops on Tarawa from aerial attack.

Keating, who commands 300,000 U.S. troops in the Asia-Pacific region, urged those working for him to learn from World War II veterans.

"Pay attention to the survivors while we can," he said.

And though the region is largely at peace, Keating cautioned against getting complacent.

"Don't take what we have today for granted," he said. "We must not be overconfident."

On Red Beach, Fawcett stood up and saluted his father's ashes after mixing them with the sand. A fellow Marine who had been observing walked up and joined in the salute for several minutes.

"It was simple, and he would have really liked that," said Fawcett, 56. "I'm sure he's very gratified right now."