This is the day and time that the first Marine landed on Iwo Jima island.
This is the place that would change how the war between Japan and USA would turn out.
It was all for the air strip, either for the Japanese to be able to bomb the U.S. or for the U.S. to be able to bomb Japan. The planes of the time could only carrier so much fuel.
At this point, it didn't matter, it was a fight to the death for the Japanese .
For the U.S. it was a means to the end of all the fighting.
When it was all done, almost 7,000 solders had died.
There was an estment of 15,000 deaths, before it started.
The Japanese had lost 21,000 solders, with only 1,000 surrendering.
On February 23, the Flag Raisers made it to the top of Mount Suribachi and raised the US flag. This actionly was the 2nd flag raised, but the first, was so small that it could not be seen, so they raise a bigger flag.When this flag was raised the hole island, all eight square miles, as will as the ships off the cost started yelling and blowing there horns.
It took another two months to fully take the island, before the air strip could be used.
Three of the men from the group of the Flag Raisers came back the USA to help raise money for the war, trying to get people to buy US saving bonds.
It must of been costly to fight a war on two fronts. Or two wars.
Sometime I think I/we fore get the price that was paid for the freedom we have.
When I see, on the News the troubles in other places, I'm so glade that I live in this really, really free land.
I am truly blessed to be born into a country, such as ours, when God could have place me any place in the world. :)
5 comments:
What a great post, it is good to be reminded how blessed we are and what sacrifices were made so we can live how we choose to today. The original clay sculpure of the Iwo Jima Memorial is in Harlingen, where I grew up some, and seeing it so often created a special place in my heart for the brave men who fought there.
I often think it's hard to remember the price of freedom because we are so blessed in the USA. Just like in the Book of Mormon, every time they were blessed with great prosperity within a few years they forgot where it came from and because of that the Lord saw fit to send wars and other contentions to remind the people. An interesting parallel is that at the point where the people stopped looking to God for help when they were "visited" with wars and afflictions then all was lost and Mormon hid up the records. I wonder if our country is at that point now?
Great Post Dad. We actually have a good friend (Murph) who was at Iwo Jima. He's a great old man! Very sharp too.
He thinks the Iwo Jima movies that just recently came out were crap. lol.
I too think we are so blinded by how good we have it here in the states to even recognize the hardships others face in different parts of the world. Many of us have absolutly NO CONCEPT.
I have know 2 Iwo Jima vet. in the past. Interest stories they had to tell.
Dad
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