Posted on 02/23/2016 2:47:46 PM PST by harpygoddess
February 19 was the anniversary of the beginning of the amphibious assault by the United States Marines on Japanese-held Iwo Jima (wiki) in 1945, during the final year of World War II. Located in the Volcano Islands, 750 miles south of Tokyo, Iwo Jima was one of the final steps in Admiral Nimitz's Central Pacific "island-hopping" campaign and was attacked both to eliminate a base from which Japanese fighter aircraft could intercept Tinian-based U.S. B-29 bombers on bombing raids against Japan and to provide those bombers the protection of U.S. fighter escorts based there, plus an emergency landing site.
After several days of naval bombardment, the initial landing involved 30,000 men of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions, and eventually 60,000 Marines were involved. The island was defended by 22,000 Japanese troops, heavily dug in. One of the key objectives was Mount Suribachi, a 554-foot peak at the southwest end of the island, and after some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific war, it was secured on the 5th day (February 23), when photographer Joe Rosenthal took his iconic picture of the Iwo Jima flag-raising.
(Excerpt) Read more at vaviper.blogspot.com ...
"The valor and sacrifice of the Marines and Sailors who fought on Iwo Jima is, today and forever, the standard by which we judge what we are and what we might become."
Just watched The Pacific not too long ago.
I have an incredible amount of respect for anyone who served there. The immortal flag being raised happened on the 3rd day of fighting when fighting would go on for almost 35 more days. 3 of the 6 men seen raising the flag on Iwo Jim died in subsequent fighting on that island.
My late father-in-law served with the 4th. Marine Division and was wounded on Iwo Jima. It got him the hell out of there and back home.
I haven’t been to the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, but I visited its predecessor, a tiny two story building at the Washington Navy Yard. Among other things, that building contained both flags raised on Suribachi.
I have an uncle that was with the 4th.He`s buried
on Iwo.His mother went to the cemetary when they
had the option to bring him home.She said leave him there.
Beautiful cemetary.
Bravery that was almost impossible to imagine in taking Iwo.
God Bless your uncles memory. Those marines were as tough as they come.
Also had an uncle who died on Iwo, he is buried in the National Cemetery (Punchbowl)on Oahu, HA. He was killed Feb. 19, 1945. How he got from Iwo to Hawaii I have no idea.
I visited his grave when I was stationed at Pearl Harbor many years ago,
When I was headed into that lost cause of Viet Nam
I hoped we would fly over Iwo Jima so I could at least
see the place where uncle Joe died,but no such luck.
Did get to land on Midway..1970 you could still see
a ton of stuff from that fight.Hard to believe so many
died for control of that tiny island.
My uncle (still alive) was a radio guy for the airplanes. Somebody mentioned it at Christmas one time, and as a kid I was “Wow - YOU were on Iwo Jima?”
“Yeah - but it was already a few days after we had landed - the other guys did the fighting. I was just setting up and operating radio gear. The Japs would shoot across the runway at us though once-in-awhile.”
He later worked for NASA and Pan Am - and was always off in some far-off place, and would bring back trinkets for his nieces and nephews.
Made that same trip in ‘69. Visited Midway several other times on the way to West Pac ... great ship refueling stop.
I remember the barracks had beer-dispensing machines (like soft drink machines) and we got the permanently stationed crew all upset by emptying them quickly. LOL! Needless to say, the next time through the barracks were off limits.
Have to add in my late father-in-law’s unit, the Army’s 75th JASCO (Joint Assault Signal Company) attached to the Marines. Originally a smaller company, they became a “composite” unit of at least 660 Army men - communications. Don’t know how many actually landed on Iwo but their average casualty rate was over 60%.
Jim told me of seeing the flag hoisted at Mt. Surabachi from his base camp below (possibly recovering from his 3rd wound).
They were all brave men.
Just for some factoids:
John Batchelor’s father fly over Iwo
So did John O’Neill (Swift Boat Veterans leader)father.
I believe one of Mark Levin’s direct relatives also fought there (at least at Guadalcanal).
My late friend Gen. Bruce Jacobs (USA), was an Army transport commander at Iwo.
Everyone was there. It was an American victory, at a very high cost, but is saved the lives of thousands of American airmen during the rest of the Pacific war.
Never forget them!
Have to kinda feel sorry for those poor devils that
had to live there and visitors drank all their beer.LOL
It looks like a runway floating on the ocean from the air.
Remember ship masts sticking up in every direction.
FDR knew of $500,000 donated to MacArthur by the Philippines president, but faced his last election where MacArthur would have been a popular endorsement. FDR made a political decision that cost 10,000 US lives.
--Today's US History magazine.
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