Not Using the Airstrip?

When we were watching The Pacific on the invasion of Peleliu, I was horrified and extremely upset. How could the US command our marines to do such a task!? And since they did how could they do it without appropriately supplying our troops with enough food or water? I was fairly disturbed that our country would do that to its own men. Practically killing them while sending them out to their deaths. As I was watching the video, I could not stop thinking how I could never do what those men did, how they could keep going when the person next to them was shot in the head, or was blown to pieces. And after all of the battles in World War I that consisted of running across an open field at the enemy, which never worked successfully, doesn't our country learn that is a terrible idea? It was basically, as I said before, sending them out to their deaths. I realize that it was important so that we could get to the  airstrip, but we never even used it!!!!! This is the fact that completely blows my mind! We send troops out practically dying of dehydration, while commanding them to run across an open field straight into Japanese fire, all for an airstrip that we never use. I do not understand how the US could do that. Why did we have to lose so many men, for something that we did not even use. We could have used those men while invading Japan or maybe sent some to Europe, or they could have stayed home! With their families!