We can’t imagine it today. 6800 Marines KIA in one month, on a small patch of land. More than 20,000 Japanese KIA.
That’s WW1 or Civil War level carnage.
If you want an interesting podcast to listen to, the Shawn Ryan Show had Don Graves, a US Marine who carried a flamethrower on Iwo Jima back in 1945, Graves is still really sharp and active for a man who is now about 100 years old.
He claims to have been near John Basilone, when was killed and was on top of Suribachi when the flag went up.