Remembering the Battle of Iwo Jima, 65 Years On

The Japanese island Iwo Jima is more often associated with the flag raised atop its Mount Suribachi than with its status as one of World War II’s bloodiest, hardest-fought battles. This year, on the 65th anniversary of that battle, U.S. Marines and Japanese officials are returning to the island to commemorate the fateful events. Hundreds of Marines have already landed to begin their preparations.

Over the course of a month in early 1945, intense fighting among the island’s dense network of tunnels, bunkers and foliage left 6,821 Americans and 21,570 Japanese soldiers dead. And the war’s presence is still felt on the island today. Unexploded ordnance littering the island, which is roughly the size of Manhattan, has made it unfit for development, and it serves as a tomb for 12,000 Japanese soldiers and 218 Americans still classified as missing in action.

Also returning to the island are roughly two dozen American veterans of the battle, now in their 80s and 90s.

Pay tribute to the heroism of those on both sides of the battle lines by learning more about World War II and the battle of Iwo Jima.

FindingDulcinea offers a wealth of resources for the student of World War II. Discover the Web’s best sources of general WWII information using the findingDulcinea World War II Web Guide. Visit the “Resources for the Pacific War” section to learn more about the battle of Iwo Jima and the surrounding campaign. 

The U.S. Government Office of War Information documented the battle in the 1945 film “To the Shores of Iwo Jima.” The Academy Award nominated film, which plays like a propaganda movie, offers a rare window into the battlefield actions of American troops, and is a worthy historical document. It can be viewed in two parts on YouTube: Part 1, Part 2.

James Sullivan
Editor