*Island today: *Brutal: Unlike Army Medics in Europe, PTO Navy Corpsmen, after being targeted at Guadalcanal, were armed with carbines and .45 caliber pistols…” *Iwo Jima” in Japanese island”…barren, blasted, stinking, mangled bodies: “sulfur no retreat or cover…Like Peleliu: Marines ON island, but Japanese IN island. *Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was commander of Emperor Hirohito’s Palace Guard * *Long/proud Samurai Family tradition. *He fortified Iwo Jima and Suribachi (7 levels of tunnels, mutually supporting positions, stock piles, and 1K gun ports) *”[When the invasion comes] every man will resist to the end, making his position his tomb.” (page 541) *21K Japanese vs. 75K+ American Marines *Various artillery pieces, mortars, and machine gun nests: intense, gruesome. *”Cornered Rat Defense,” just like at Peleliu…let Americans land, make it rain metal, and drain American blood. This is a battle of attrition. *He traveled to and knew America. US is the last country in the world that “The Japan should fight….Each man will make it his duty to kill ten of the enemy before dying: until we are destroyed to the last man we shall harass the enemy with guerrilla tactics.” (page 542) *Flag Raising Situation: *1st picture was by Lou Lowery. Too small a flag and Sec of Navy Forrestal wanted to secure it as first American flag flown over Japanese island *2nd (famous) picture by Joe Rosenthal and filmed by Sergeant Bill Genaust *Flag Raising Picture: Much needed boost to morale…Americans were impatient, exhausted, troubled by intensity and no end in sight views of war….still 30 more days of fighting, but this picture fueled America’s willingness and righteousness.
*Island today: *Brutal: Unlike Army Medics in Europe, PTO Navy Corpsmen, after being targeted at Guadalcanal, were armed with carbines and .45 caliber pistols…” *Iwo Jima” in Japanese “sulfur island”…barren, blasted, stinking, mangled bodies: no retreat or cover…Like Peleliu: Marines ON island, but Japanese IN island. *Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi was commander of Emperor Hirohito’s Palace Guard * *Long/proud Samurai Family tradition. *He fortified Iwo Jima and Suribachi (7 levels of tunnels, mutually supporting positions, stock piles, and 1K gun ports) *”[When the invasion comes] every man will resist to the end, making his position his tomb.” (page 541) *21K Japanese vs. 75K+ American Marines *Various artillery pieces, mortars, and machine gun nests: intense, gruesome. *”Cornered Rat Defense,” just like at Peleliu…let Americans land, make it rain metal, and drain American blood. This is a battle of attrition. *He traveled to and knew America. “The US is the last country in the world that Japan should fight….Each man will make it his duty to kill ten of the enemy before dying: until we are destroyed to the last man we shall harass the enemy with guerrilla tactics.” (page 542) *Flag Raising Situation: *1st picture was by Lou Lowery. Too small a flag and Sec of Navy Forrestal wanted to secure it as first American flag flown over Japanese island *2nd (famous) picture by Joe Rosenthal and filmed by Sergeant Bill Genaust *Flag Raising Picture: Much needed boost to morale…Americans were impatient, exhausted, troubled by intensity and no end in sight views of war….still 30 more days of fighting, but this picture fueled America’s willingness and righteousness.