The paradise island haunted by one of the bloodiest battles of World War II

By Lilit Marcus, CNN Peleliu, Palau (CNN) — The island is lush, myriad shades of green made deeper by the effects of the morning’s rainfall. Just offshore, snorkelers float over beds of unbleached corals. Walking off the small wooden boat dock, visitors pass clumps of ficus trees and ankle-deep ferns, while cairns of gray stones