[F16Fighter]

Burrell concludes that Iwo Jima was "helpful" to the U.S. bombing effort but hardly worth the price in blood.

Irrefutably so.

[An Old Marine]

Burrell concludes that Iwo Jima was "helpful" to the U.S. bombing effort but hardly worth the price in blood.

Irrefutably so.

True if the only objective is land for airfields. I will point out once again that wars are won by going where the other guy is and making him miserable. You can perhaps make the arguement that Iwo was unnecessary since the Okinawa campaign was just over the horizon but bloody invasions were a next inevitable step in the Pacific war.

That however misses the concern that Iwo also provided the Japanese with a base to attack the Marianas. And they planned to do just that. Imagine the potential damage of a suicidal air attack to the closely packed B-29's of Tinian.