Iwo Jima Day on February 19 takes place every year to mark the anniversary of a battle that lasted around five weeks. The fight between the U.S Marines and the Japanese soldiers took place amidst World War II and turned out to be quite horrific. Thousands of people on both sides lost their lives. However, in the end, the U.S Marines emerged victorious even when faced with impossible challenges. Hence, the day is officially observed in Massachusetts and unofficially marked across the United States. On this day, pay a tribute to our lost soldiers, celebrate their victory, and rejoice at how the country has emerged as a united nation.
Before Iwo Jima became known as a famous battle where many soldiers lost their lives, it was merely known as one of the Japanese Volcano Islands. However, it’s on this island that the Battle of Iwo Jima took place between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan. The battle took place because the island had three airfields that could provide the U.S. Marines with a strategic spot for other battles. On February 19, 1945, the American forces invaded the island and continued to fight the strong Japanese Army for five weeks.
During the battle, almost 7,000 U.S. Marines lost their lives. While the U.S. Marines were sure they would win, it took many days to defeat the Japanese because their army had adopted a new defense tactic. They utilized the mountainous landscape and jungles to set up camouflaged artillery positions, in effect, creating hundreds of hurdles for the U.S. Marines. To top it off, the beach of the island consisted of steep dunes of soft volcanic ash. Due to the sand, making a passageway for the battlefield vehicles became quite difficult.
Even with this slight hurdle that affected the timeline, the Americans were calm because they had already launched a pre-attack on the Japanese. Most importantly, when the Americans landed, they faced no rebuttal from the Japanese. This made them believe that the enemy forces had already accepted defeat. Little did they know, the lack of immediate response was simply part of General Kuribayashi’s plan. The battle of Iwo Jima is now known as one of the bloodiest events of World War II.
