Posted on 02/19/2025 5:46:28 AM PST by 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.
The Shootist.
You forgot about Ted Williams. However, you may have to attach his head to someones else’s body.
I got my picture taken with Thomas Jefferson a few years ago when we visited Monticello. Truth be told, it was with his interpreter, who bore a striking resemblance to our Third President.
Do I win the prize?
keep reading, you’re about the tenth response
“The Sands of Iwo Jima” /s
Thank God for those brave Marines.
Fighting SeaBees
The Wake of the Red Witch is also one of the Dukes better non Westerns. Well worth a watch.
He plays the crooked 1st mate of a clipper carrying gold bars who wrecks the ship on purpose and then tries to recover the gold.
After the island was declared secured on March 26, 1945, some 2500 Japanese soldiers and sailors survived on the island.
They continued as survivalist groups as they had little food and water, few weapons or munitions. Over 1600 were killed by US Army troops or killed themselves and the rest surrendered. The last Japanese did not surrender until 1949.
Iwo Jima was the rare instance where everyone on the island was a combatant. No civilians at all.
The Japanese had abandoned the banzai charge of Guadalcanal and replaced that odd strategy with building an underground city of bombproof tunnels. So all of the pre-invasion bombardment by ships and aircraft accomplished nothing.
Arlington Towers, there’s a blast from the past. I lived in Arlington Forest from 1957 to 1966. Rosslyn was nothing at the time. Arlington had lots of mom & pop shops, I’m sure that is all gone now. Gov’t employees weren’t getting rich back then, that is something that developed later. McClean is where the Kennedys lived but their fortune long preceded politics.
The bombardment rid the island of any remaining foliage, which meant clear shooting for the snipers.
An Iwo vet (I’d known him my whole life, I think I’d known he was in WWII, but didn’t know any specifics) was all fired up about the upcoming movie (this was back when the movie release was imminent) and showed me has various war-related memorabilia, including a vintage map of the island.
He nonchalantly pointed the curved route of the buried bunkers. He was a field medic, and the Japanese snipers made them a priority, so he lasted about three days. It took him more than a year to recuperate from his wound.
Of the USMC who served in all theaters of WWII, nearly a quarter died on Iwo or as a result of the wounds. Nearly a third of WWII Marines who earned the Medal of Honor earned it on Iwo.
It’s often said to be 8 sq miles, but it’s shaped kind of like a football and is, at best, 4 miles n-s and 2 miles e-w. The veteran interviews I’ve seen referred to the black volcanic sand/soil at the landing site as being like walking in wet coffee grounds.
I watched an interview with Dern. To get into his roles he would have “conversations” with the other actors. He sat with Wayne for hours and called him all sorts of nasty things. I forget the other movie that he talked about as an example.
Wayne told him to keep that attitude up on and off set towards him - as well as the kids to make the kids afraid of him.
We actually considered using gas because it was a purely military target.
When I first arrived at Arlington Towers, I realized I was south of the Potomac when I was served scrapple for breakfast at the restaurant that was next door (now replaced by an office building). I had never even heard of scrapple, much less eaten it before, but I enjoyed it.
I used to like to stay at the Motel 50 on Arlington Blvd., which was probably there when you lived there, but the last time I was in Rosslyn, it was closed—and a high-rise probably stands in its place.
“The Sands of Iwo Jima” also featured Forrest Tucker, whom I once met. Nice guy
The Cowboys
The Shootist
The Alamo
Wake of the Red Witch
The Fighting Seabees
Arlington still had traces of the South when I was growing up there. I managed to acquire a Tidewater accent, which the rare person with a good ear will hear but most don’t notice.
I’d be sad to see the Arlington of my memory crowded with high rises. Arlington Towers may have been only one when I was there.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.