Actor John Travolta spoke at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea in New York on May 4.

He praised the stalwart military alliance between the United States and Australia in front of both US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The Battle of the Coral lasted from May 4-9, 1942, and was hailed as a major turning point for Allied forces during World War II. It was the first strategic defeat of Japanese forces, which had mounted a seaborne invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea – a strategic point for the Australian and US navies. The historical battle, the first joint naval effort between the two countries, eventually weakened Japanese forces, which suffered major damages to their fleet carriers, eventually allowing Allied forces to recapture the South Pacific.