I came upon this by surprise, and having the dog with me slowed me down. I would have liked to photograph much more, but it was hard to get through the crowds with camera and dog in tow--LOL!
Posted on 02/19/2005 5:05:17 PM PST by SquirrelKing
The Associated Press
DOSS, Texas — The nation's largest 60th-anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Iwo Jima will not occur on an island or, for that matter, anywhere close to salt water.
Some 30 acres on a Hill Country ranch will stand in for the rugged speck of Japanese land in the Pacific Ocean where about 28,000 died during a grueling month of fighting in early 1945 — a battle immortalized in an Associated Press photo of a group of U.S. fighting men raising the American flag over Mount Suribachi.
Jeff Hunt, chief organizer of today's event, said Marines will re-create that scene atop a steep hill, but not before spectators receive a taste of what both sides had to endure.
"We wanted to show how vicious the fight was beforehand," said Hunt, curator at the National Museum of the Pacific War in nearby Fredericksburg. "It wasn't troops going forward gloriously to victory. There were a lot of casualties."
The 90-minute mock battle, to be narrated by retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, will begin with the U.S. invasion force landing on a "beach" and fighting its way up the rising terrain against the entrenched Japanese. Explosive charges have been planted on the field.
The action will involve about 320 people, roughly 70 of whom will portray Japanese troops defending the hill. Half of the defenders are veteran re-enactors from Japan who have traveled to Texas for the event.
"We were all born after World War II, and we are very interested in the history," said Takashi Fukuda, a Tokyo writer who will serve as the Japanese commander.
Fukuda, wearing a replica uniform with a long sword on his hip, said he knows many U.S. veterans have not forgiven Japan or its people. But the re-enactment "is just another war game. It's nothing personal."
We almost went to this today. They are also reenacting tomorrow. If any other FReepers went please give a report. BTW. The Admiral Nimitz/George Bush Pacific War Museum is well worth the visit. They are getting ready to expand it again also.
I'm going to try to post some photos later.
Now basil, if we had known you were going we might have been more motivated to show up! How was the parking? I wasn't sure what to expect regarding walking distance, bathrooms, etc. and that makes it hard to plan for small children. Looking forward to seeing your pictures.
I came upon this by surprise, and having the dog with me slowed me down. I would have liked to photograph much more, but it was hard to get through the crowds with camera and dog in tow--LOL!
Nice photos Mari. BTW, thanks for taking me to the Nimitz Museum the last time I was down there...that's a fantastic place.
April is the best time to be in the Hill Country, as the fields and road sides are ablaze with wild flowers.
Good pictures for a spur of the moment trip. I can't wait to show Blastus the line of cars! Ha!
Great photos! Thanks for posting. I miss the Hillcountry!
Ping
I had never been to the Hill country before this past weekend; went to the events in honor of my uncle Vic, a survivor of the battle. Fredericksburg is a real patriotic town, let me tell you! Everyone was really kind and courteous and cowboy. The old guys who came reminded me of my uncle; one even lives in his county and promised to get ahold of him! The Japanese reenactors were amazing. And Toyota's building a truck plant in Texas!
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Paul of Atlanta
Glad that you enjoyed our Texas hospitality. I haven't been to Fredericksburg other than a quick drive through on the way to El Paso, but I hear it is a nice place to spend some time.
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