[ExtremeUnction]

I am a former Marine and have studied Iwo Jima extensively. The truth is that when most of us debate the subject, we let our emotions cloud our judgement. Most Marines were killed AFTER Suribachi. They made their way across a plain to the island's airfield, dying by the thousands. Nimitz should have stopped, regrouped and then gone forward with a new plan. Too many Marines died unnecessarily. I pay homage to the great sacrafice of our dead and wounded Marines. But Nimitz' leadership was poor.

[Petronski]

Nimitz should have stopped, regrouped and then gone forward with a new plan....[his] leadership was poor.

An excellent observation.

[xone]

'Nimitz should have stopped, regrouped and then gone forward with a new plan'

What new plan? They were divisions in line, Suribachi was five days into the battle, do you return to the ships? The landing beaches were the only ones not fouled prior to the landing.

[An Old Marine]

Nimitz should have stopped, regrouped and then gone forward with a new plan.

I disagree. Stopping to regroup for a new plan implies alternatives. A new plan implies that manuver, surprise, or tactics could win a campaign with less cost. This is a small island with a determined enemy well dug in. The only alternative would have been to abandon the invasion thereby handing the Japanese a victory.

Further while Nimitz was "regrouping" the Japanese would have been too. Additionally any amphibious landing means that the invasion fleet is necessarily locked to a stationary fixed location making an excellent target. Although the Japanese surface fleet was finished by the Iwo Jima invasion they still had more than 150 subs and several hundred planes that could have reached Iwo and the invasion fleet. Consider that the loss of a couple of carriers might have meant the deaths of thousands of sailors while you are regrouping and second guessing yourself.

Too many Marines died unnecessarily.

This you may argue but the only alternative was not invading at all. Perhaps the intelligence was poor but its the best that there was in 1945 when the decision was made. Lastly I will point out that although it is trite it is also true that war is won by fighting the enemy where he is. By 1945 the next steps in the war with Japan were necessarily going to be bloody. Warfare is a hazardous undertaking. Thats why those that follow that trade of arms are referred to as heroes.