Good read.
Ever read, "Flags of Our fathers?"
7,000 Americans died in the effort to capture a tiny island. It sort of puts our losses in Iraq into perspective.
Thanks for posting this article. It's an excellent read. My Dad was a Marine and on a troop ship to the Japan invasion when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August. I did't realize that Iwo led to the decision to use the bomb to end the war. Without the sacrifices of the Marines at Iwo, I doubt my Dad would have come home, and I probably wouldn't be here today.
had math professor at ASU that was in that battle. lights went out one day and he was gone. next day he didn't say a word nor did the class.
I went to high school in South Texas, under a principal who was a Marine and fought at Iwo Jima. He was, IMO at the time, the toughest man who ever lived.
The only time I ever screwed up around him, he actually picked me up by my shirt collar with one hand and chewed me out royally. After that I was a model student.
I believe 'Manila John' Basilone was lost on Iwo... just one of 6000. If we had the atomic bomb at that time, Iwo and Okinawa would have been excellent targets. Such a loss of life!
We saw a tv show about Iwo. It mentioned that when they finally got a foothold and the tanks came in, they just rolled over any bodies that were in the way. Crushed them to nothing. It could be one of those in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
read later
Thank you for this. I've saved it to read more carefully later when I'm awake.