Today is the 77th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima. (February 19-March 26, 1945) In many ways it was the hardest battle ever fought by the USMC. I normally hold a three-hour seminar on the battle. But I don’t think you want to listen to me drone on or ask you probing questions. (If you do have any questions, I’m happy to answer them!) You’ve probably already see the Marines raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi, so instead, I’ve included several photos you might not have seen before.

USS New York bombarding the Japanese defenses of Iwo Jima, February 16, 1945
LVTs approaching the beachhead of Iwo Jima, February 19, 1945
Marine Corps landing on the black beaches of Iwo Jima
It was extremely difficult to walk, much less run, through the volcanic sand
Flamethrower operator running under fire

Ultimately, 6,102 Marines dies at Iwo Jima. Thousands more were wounded.

If you want to learn more about the battle, you might read http://Eric Hammel. Iwo Jima: Portrait of a Battle

Or, if you want to just watch a movie–an old movie but one which does give you a fairly good feeling of what happened–take a look at http://Sands of Iwo Jima

Never Forget 🙏

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