Outpost in the North Atlantic: Marines in the Defense of Iceland

A large volcanic island on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Iceland was strategically located for the air and naval control of the North Atlantic "lifeline" between the British Isles and North America. In 1941, France having fallen, Britain alone faced Nazi Germany. Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill knew that the survival of his nation depended upon support from the United States, and by no means could Iceland be allowed to fall into enemy hands. By late spring 1941, Britain's back was against the wall. Churchill asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt to send American troops to Iceland to replace the British garrison there. - Summary by James A. Donovan