Taking A Closer Look At The Battle For Iwo Jima

Cooper C. Little
Period 6
Language Arts
10-30-2014
The Battle for Iwo Jima On February 19th, 1945, The United States Marine Corps sent an invasion force to capture the island of Iwo Jima. Iwo Island was critical to both sides, because it was only 650 miles from Tokyo, Japan’s capitol. For America, it could be used as an emergency landing site for damaged bombers. For Japan, it could be used as an airbase for zeroes to intercept American bombing raids heading for Japan (iwojima.com). The battle for Iwo Jima may be the biggest battle in World War 2. America’s strategy for Iwo Jima was more brute force than tactical. American bombers bombed the volcanic island for 74 days. After 2 months, the destroyers opened fire. The destroyer’s cannons
On the 1st day of the Marine occupation of Iwo Jima, the Marines lost over 2400 men, and continued inching towards the dim light of Victory in the horizon. On Day 2 the Marines started pushing towards Mount Suribachi (Navy.mil) “At 8 AM, on February 23rd, 1945, a patrol of 40 men from 3rd platoon, easy company, 28th Marines, led by 1st Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, assembled at the base of Mount Suribachi. The platoon’s mission was to take the crater of Suribachi’s peak and raise the U.S. flag. As they reached the top, the patrol members took positions around the crater, watching for pockets of enemy resistance as other members of the patrol looked for something on which to raise the flag. Present at the crest were 6 marines of a 40 man patrol. They were 1st Lieutenant Schrier, Sergeant Thomas, Sergeant Hansen, Private 1st Class Charlo, Private 1st class Michaels, and Private 1st class Charles W. Lindberg. At approximately 10:20 A.M. the flag was hoisted on a steel pipe above the island”, (eye witness account from Charles W. Lindberg). Later that day, the marines would take down the first flag and raise
To deal with the hidden Japanese soldiers the marines started using liquid gas, napalm, and hand grenades. By March 11th, the marines trapped the remnants of the Japanese Army at Kitano Point. On March 16th Iwo Jima had been secured and on March 26th, the hostilities had ended. “The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines, by their individual and collective courage, have conquered a base which is necessary to us continuing forward movement toward final victory, as it was vital to the enemy in starving off ultimate defeat. By their victory, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the 5th amphibious corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to fully value. Among the Americans who served on Iwo island, uncommon valor was a virtue”, (Admiral Chester W. Nimitz).
In conclusion the battle lasted 36 days. Casualties were majorly high on both sides. Easy Company alone returned with 1/6th of the marines they entered Iwo with. More Medals of Honor were given out during the Battle for Iwo Jima than any other battle in U.S. history. In the end it was one of the biggest battles in World War 2 and eventually led to victory in the