U.S. Marines invade Iwo Jima (80 years ago today)

History.com ^ | 11/16/2009 | History.com Editors

[DFG]

Operation Detachment, the U.S. Marines’ invasion of Iwo Jima, is launched. Iwo Jima was a barren Pacific island guarded by Japanese artillery, but to American military minds, it was prime real estate on which to build airfields to launch bombing raids against Japan, only 660 miles away.

The Americans began applying pressure to the Japanese defense of the island in June 1944, when B-24 and B-25 bombers raided the island for 74 days. It was the longest pre-invasion bombardment of the war, necessary because of the extent to which the Japanese—21,000 strong—fortified the island, above and below ground, including a network of caves. Underwater demolition teams (“frogmen”) were dispatched by the Americans just before the actual invasion. When the Japanese fired on the frogmen, they gave away many of their “secret” gun positions.

The amphibious landings of Marines began the morning of February 19 as the secretary of the navy, James Forrestal, accompanied by journalists, surveyed the scene from a command ship offshore. As the Marines made their way onto the island, seven Japanese battalions opened fire on them. By evening, more than 550 Marines were dead and more than 1,800 were wounded. The capture of Mount Suribachi, the highest point of the island and bastion of the Japanese defense, took four more days and many more casualties. When the American flag was finally raised on Iwo Jima, the memorable image was captured in a famous photograph that later won the Pulitzer Prize.

[DFG]

Bruce Dern shot John Wayne in the back in “The Cowboys”.

“When John Wayne informed Bruce Dern that Dern’s character would shoot Wayne’s in “The Cowboys” (1972), he told Dern that audiences would hate him for it. Dern responded by saying, “Yeah, but they’ll sure love me in Berkeley.” Shortly after the film’s release, Dern received death threats for his character shooting Wayne in the back.”

https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodclassicofficial/photos/when-john-wayne-informed-bruce-dern-that-derns-character-would-shoot-waynes-in-t/122178810074261649/

[dfwgator]

Dern responded by saying, “Yeah, but they’ll sure love me in Berkeley.”

---

And every other college town at the time.

[woodbutcher1963]

We have a winner!

John Wayne died at the end of his last movie “The Shootist”.
Where he stared with Lauren Bacall, Jimmy Stewart, Ron Howard and Richard Boone.

[Thank You Rush]

Beautiful picture - thanks for posting it.

[woodbutcher1963]

Yes, Bruce Dern played the consummate “bad guy” also known as “the heavy” throughout most of his career. It was not until late in life when he actually got roles as the nice older father/grandfather/uncle etc. He had a great career as a character actor. His daughter Laura Dern has also had a decent career as an actress.

[ozarker]

I wonder if USA had used chemical weapons, poison gas, like mustard gas and other choking agents, if battle would have been less costly for us. The poison gas would have been very effective at settling into their caves and tunnels unless they had good ventilation systems. We had enormous stockpiles of poison gas, we could have stood off the island and shelled with gas for a week or so, then wait for most of the gas to dissipate before going in with troops. I don’t think japan signed any of the agreements about usage of such weapons. They experimented with plague on our pow’s, they would have had no right to bitch about being gassed.

[Fai Mao]

The Wake of the Red Witch was the other movie Wayne died in. It was also one of the few times he played a bad guy

[woodbutcher1963]

Yes, it would have been very effective in that particular situation.
So would a Neutron bomb in Tora Bora, Afghanistan.
However, we had signed the Geneva Convention. If we broke it with the Japanese would they have used similar WMDs on us?

My father participated in the invasion of the Philippians. He was in MacArthur's Army Air Corp. He came home from there on a hospital ship. After losing all of his top teeth, being shot in the head through the helmet and also in the abdomen.
During the battle he was promoted from Staff Sergeant to Captain because he was the senior enlisted man. All the officers above him were either injured or dead. He was discharged as a Staff Sergeant. He came back home to WNY to farm, eventually marry and have four sons. I was the third. So, I am glad the US did NOT use chemical weapons in WW2.

[AFreeBird]

“The Cowboys “

[woodbutcher1963]

Wow, that makes four then.

[AFret.]

Wow, that makes four then.

---

5 - “The Alamo”
6 - “Fort Apache”

[mfish13]

I think therewas 4. “Reap The Wild Wind” was one.

[SunkenCiv]

[Vermont Lt]

I thought he died in The Shootist.

[Fiji Hill]

Back when Carter was president, I used to live across the street at the Arlington Towers, a high-rise apartment complex that was more or less run down. The Marines would hold a ceremony every evening, and I sometimes went out to watch it.

Since then, Big Business has moved into the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington. High rises replaced the local pharmacy and the mom-and-pop shops and restaurants, and Arlington Towers was cleaned up and refurbished and is now River Place, home of wealthy lobbyists and high-ranking bureaucrats. When Emerald Robinson was on Newsmax, you could see it in the background when she broadcasted from her home.

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Iwo Jima keyword, sorted:

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• 100 Marines showed up for an Iwo Jima veteran's 100th Birthday [10/05/2024]
• 102-year-old WWII vet from New York dies traveling to France for D-Day commemoration [06/06/2024]
• Remembering Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams... [03/06/2024]
• UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY - November 10 [11/10/2023]
• Biden Updates Iwo Jima Memorial With Pride Flag [06/14/2023]
• Battle of Iwo Jima -- 19 Feb 1945 - 26 Mar 1945 [03/26/2023]
• Virginia school official taking heat for saying Battle of Iwo Jima set record for 'human evil' [02/27/2023]
• Controversial member of woke Virginia school board slams Battle of Iwo Jima as 'evil': Previously moaned that moment of silence for 9/11 attacks 'caused harm' [02/26/2023]
• Last remaining WWII Medal of Honor recipient dies at 98 [07/04/2022]
• Underwater Volcano Fukutoku-Okanoba Explodes [08/29/2021]
• Retired marine whose troops planted US flag on Iwo Jima dies [08/06/2021]
• Taliban celebrates Joe Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan by recreating iconic Iwo Jima photo [08/02/2021]
• This Day in History: Feb. 23, 1945, U.S. Marines raise the Flag on Mount Suribachi on the Island of Iwo Jima [02/23/2021]
• President Trump meets World War II Iwo Jima veterans at the White house (great photos) [03/04/2020]
• On Point: Remembering Iwo Jima [02/28/2020]
• Presidential Message on the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima [02/19/2020]
• A 104-year-old Marine vet wants people to send him Valentine's Day cards [01/15/2020]
• The Boys of Iwo Jima were men and so much more than the snowflakes of today [02/19/2019]
• USMC Hollywood Best Ever - two minutes [11/11/2018]
• Hershel W. Williams turns 95 today [10/02/2018]
• Famous Veteran : Ira Hamilton Hayes USMC Corporal [07/27/2018]
• On this day in 1945, one of the most reproduced and parodied photos in history was taken [02/23/2018]
• Today we honor the men of Iwo Jima [02/19/2018]
• In His Own Words: Jack Lucas, Youngest Recipient Of The Medal of Honor During WWII [02/25/2017]
• Oldest surviving officer in Battle of Iwo Jima dies [02/23/2017]
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• Today we Honor the Men of Iwo Jima [02/19/2017]
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• World War II 'Hero of Iwo Jima,' John Keith Wells, dies in Arvada [02/18/2016]
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[woodbutcher1963]

Holy Crap!

I really thought it was only one or two movies that “the Duke” died in. Turns out it was at least SIX.
That is why I love this site. I LEARN something new all the time.

[dfwgator]

John Wayne’s not dead, he’s frozen
And as soon as we find a cure for cancer
We’re gonna thaw out the Duke, and he’s gonna be pretty pissed off

You know why?

Have you ever taken a cold shower?
Well, multiply that by fifteen million times
That’s how pissed off the Duke’s gonna be

I’m gonna get the Duke, and John Cassavetes
And Lee Marvin, and Sam Peckinpah, and a case of whiskey
And drive down to Texas

[telescope115]

I had an uncle who was on Iwo. I didn’t find out until his funeral.

[telescope115]

The Shootist.