Posted on 03/04/2010 8:41:34 AM PST by Crush
On Feb. 19, 1945, thousands of Marines landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima, the first U.S. assault on Japanese home islands. For over a month, the Marines fought an epic fight with Japanese troops before declaring the island secured on March 16, 1945. Of the thousands (estimates run as high as 22,000) of Japanese troops defending the island, only 216 were captured. The rest were either killed either in battle or by ritual suicide.
The intense fighting produced over 26,000 U.S. casualties. Nearly 7,000 Marines (and 300 sailors) were killed. After the battle, Admiral Chester Nimitz said, "Among the Americans serving on Iwo island, uncommon valor was a common virtue."
Indeed, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and sailors for their actions at Iwo Jima. Unto the Breach will post each Honor citation on the anniversary of the action, so check back frequently.
It was the carnage at Iwo Jima that convinced Truman that America had to use the bomb. The Japanese were so fanatic that the toll in lives required to capture the Japanese mainland would have exceeded all American deaths in both the Europe and the Pacific theatres, combined.
It is always hard for me to read these because I well up with tears.
I just watched a show last night called something like Battlefield Rats, something rats visiting Iwo Jima (Iwo To now).
But my point is regarding battle statistics. In this post citing 219 surrendered Japanese. This appears incomplete. According to the show, over eight hundred Japanese were captured AFTER the island was declared secured. This before island secured and after island secured statisical disparities applly to other figures as well. On many islands the casualties and dead during “mop up” rival securing the island figues.
And on a totally different point, these whatever rats went about disturbing the sites. While remains of the dead, mostly Japanese were recovered prior, something about ransacking the area like clumsy oafs (although declaring they were not taking any artifacts) was disturbing.
God Bless Harry Truman.
Without his courage to use the bomb, myself,along with many other Americans and (never mentioned) Japanese would not exist.
Grandpa had orders to go to the Pacific from Europe to invade Japan.
Good for you. You have a heart. May God pour his blessings on you.
I have to take books off the shelves and show them to my kids to “get this.” I lost an uncle in the PI, another uncle’s leg there, and another uncle worked graves registration and recovery from the first invasions through ‘45. I grew up steeped in disdain for the Japanese army and their brutality. Not one of them would suggest that we invade Japan. Nor would my father in law who was on a troop ship heading west from Europe—to head straight through the canal to the Pacific.
People today are jaded and startled by the losses we’ve encountered in our recent wars. Every life is valuable, but to consider we lost as many folks in a couple of days on Iwo than we have in the eight years of the WOT. imagine how our general public would react to those kinds of numbers.
Finally, I was watching the WWII in HD on the History Channel the other night and I was stunned at the writings of Time magazine before the invasion of Guadalcanal. They were talking about how soft and unprepared our marines were—that they probably did not have the heart for the fight because they were so soft. They could have taken the text from today’s papers.
I have been told that military records were destroyed in a fire in a St. Louis facility. I have also been told that my great uncle was sitting not all that far away when the flag was planted, and earned a Purple Heart. I have been told that because of the fire his records were destroyed. Of course this man has long since returned home so I do not have him here to asked about his experiences.
No the records for WWII where not destroyed in the fire in 1974. Records from the Spanish-American war where lost in the fire. I obtained my Fathers records in 1987 along with his original boot camp photo.
Sgt V. USMC
Thank you for this information. Can any relative request the military records since the person in question is no longer with us? I know what I have been told but have no way to verify.
Thanks, at 59 I would think I would be passed the tears for such deeds.
If the person is deceased, you will need to provide a copy of the death certificate and use the persons SSN or service number so that they can search for the records.
SSgt - V
Yes, I know of the fire. I’ve also spoken to them about records and what was lost. They have spent the last 20+ years copying all the records to digital format and microfiche.
My personal records are now in Digital format. I served from 1980-1990 and Now 2006 to present.
My Dad and Granddad were at Iwo, but neither would ever talk about it, even after I came home from Vietnam. I saw a lot of action and lost close to one hundred friends, but the numbers from Iwo are almost unbelievable, considering the small size of the island. 22,000 Japanese inflicted 26,000 casualties on the US, if the article is correct. And I thought the NVA were tough.
Actually, at 62 in continues to get worse, knowing what was actually sacraficed
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