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They are willing and eager to serve their country, even at great risk to themselves,

Not to disrespect the Marines, but I wonder what the recruiting numbers would be like if meat grinders like Iwo Jima or Okinawa were happening?

From personal experience the current destinations these Marines go is no garden spot.

With the equivalent of six division-wing teams to build and train, the Marines drafted manpower as required (as did the other services). Although many did volunteer, it was total war and the government took what plan execution required.

Not frequently mentioned is the fact that, despite the wind down of combat operations in Europe, intake of manpower into the armed forces actually increased through most of 1945 due to anticipated requirements (and expected heavy casualties) in the invasion of Japan. Of a U.S. population of about 100 million, around 14 million served. The equivalent amount today would be 42 million. Presently, the armed forces has about 2.3 million active and reserve.

The maxim used during the WWII (and probably still valid today) is that it takes two years to train a division: one year for recruitment, basic training, and forming; the second year for progressively larger and harder unit training. The units participating in the early 1945 fighting had begun forming in 1943 (or earlier). Given the timing of the campaigns and length of the campaigns ((Iwo Jima - Feb 1945 - about 40 days of fighting) and (Okinawa - April 1945 - about 90 days of fighting)) even the replacements right out of basic training that participated in them had to have been in boot camp in the November 1944 to March 1945 time frame.