IWO REVISITED

It has been 73 years since U.S. Marines landed on this "pork chop" shaped volcanic island just 200 miles from Japan.
The war was coming to the end and plans were being made for the invasion of Japan and we needed the two airstrips on Iwo for a safe haven for B-29's returning from bombing runs on Japan.
The Navy fired tons of shells and carrier planes dropped equal tons of bombs on the island to soften the enemy before the assault that was to capture the island in ten days.  But the enemy was underground and mostly survived the shells and bombs.  Instead of ten days the fight raged until March 26.
The Japanese had placed some 18,500 troops on the island with orders to defend to the death.  And they spent some 18,000 men doing just that.  Under General Holland "Howling Mad" Smith we suffered some 26,000 killed and wounded.
In a special ceremony the Island was returned to Japan in the late 1980's and a Memorial was built there to commemorate the terrible struggle that went on there for that tiny piece of volcanic ash....Medicineman!