Iwo Jima remembered

[namvet]

19 feb 45 Marines storm ashore at Iwo Jima

 

[The Professor]

Semper Fi.

The Professor: Former radio-telegraph operator and member of Second ANGLICO (Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company), Camp Lejeune, NC. Enlisted November 6, 1956, two days past my 17th birthday.

 

[Mr. H.]

I grew up a couple houses down from a veteran that landed on Iwo. His sons say he never ever spoke a word of it. He was a very strict guy with his family.

 

[whitehall]

The initial mission had nothing to do with creating a landing strip for crippled bombers. The mission was alleged to take out the Japanese fighter base that had been harassing US bombers. The real mission was a freaking experiment to determine how severe the Japanese resistance would be when the Troops landed on the mainland of Japan. Marines requested 10 days of heavy shelling but the Navy gave them three. Every inch of the island was plotted with Japanese defensive fire and Marines were slaughtered. About 7,000 Marines were KIA in less than a month but the island was taken and about 22,000 well fortified Japanese were killed.

 

[whitehall]

Joe Rosenthal's accidental photo is the most reprinted photo in history. Rosenthal was an A.P photographer who carried his big Graflex camera up the God forsaken hill and snapped a picture just when the Marine working party erected the second Flag so the Fleet could see it. Half the Flag raisers were KIA in the next two weeks.

 

[Mr. H.]

Remembering...