02/19/2021
On this day in history, the Battle of Iwo Jima began. The United States Marine Corps and Navy came head-to-head with the Imperial Japanese Army on the islands in the Pacific approximately 750 miles south of Japan. This was some of the most intense, harrowing fighting in WWII.
The battle lasted for five long weeks, and the Japanese did not give up ground easily. It's widely believed that out of the 21,000 Japanese troops who started there, only a couple hundred made it out. 6,821 U.S. service members were killed — the total amount of U.S. casualties was approximately 26,000.
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz famously said that, "Among those who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue." 27 U.S. Marines and U.S. Sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions at Iwo Jima, 14 of them posthumously. Many other awards for valor were presented in the aftermath, and there are countless other stories of heroism that will only be known to the men who were there.
It was on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, that the iconic image of the flag was taken (last image in this carousel). Three of the six Marines pictured would be killed in action. The photograph was taken by Joe Rosenthal, and it was recreated for the Marine Corps War Memorial in 1954. This powerful image of Marines raising the flag among the ashes and rubble of war has been a symbol of American perseverance and courage ever since.
