We arrived around 12:00 noon and proceeded to circle the island. Iwo Jima means sulpher island because of the odor of sulpher fumes. The
island is only 5 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide and was not only vital to the Japanese to defend their homeland, but it was also of strategic importance to the American forces who needed an airfield at this haf-way point for crippled American soldiers returning to Saipan, Tinian & Guam. It was also a launching platform for American long-range fighters to protect the bombers. If it wasn't for 
the marines that fought on Iwo, countless more lives would have been lost in the Pacific. The capture of Iwo Jima is recorded as the "Bloodiest Pacific Battle of WWII." 26,000 men were lost here, 8,000 Americans and 18,000 Japanese. A 4 minute ride at 60 mph going from one end of the island to the other took the marines 37 days. Sometimes it took an entire day to gain only 1 yard of ground.
island is only 5 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide and was not only vital to the Japanese to defend their homeland, but it was also of strategic importance to the American forces who needed an airfield at this haf-way point for crippled American soldiers returning to Saipan, Tinian & Guam. It was also a launching platform for American long-range fighters to protect the bombers. If it wasn't for the marines that fought on Iwo, countless more lives would have been lost in the Pacific. The capture of Iwo Jima is recorded as the "Bloodiest Pacific Battle of WWII." 26,000 men were lost here, 8,000 Americans and 18,000 Japanese. A 4 minute ride at 60 mph going from one end of the island to the other took the marines 37 days. Sometimes it took an entire day to gain only 1 yard of ground.
It was all very emotional.
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