The Battle of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945. The goal for the United States was to capture the island from the Japanese and make it a base for aircraft that were bombing Japan. The battle was bitterly fought and Iwo Jima was not captured until March 26, 1945. The United States suffered 26,000 casualities and the Japanese lost approximately 20,000 of its forces. Twenty-seven medals of honor were awarded to American service members for acts of heroism during the battle. Thirteen of the twenty-seven were awarded posthumously.
On February 23, 1945, Joe Rosenthal snapped a photograph of Marines raising an American flag on top of Mount Suribachi. This became an iconic photograph and symbolic of American determination. Despite capturing Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima was captured by American forces till thirty-two days later. Following the war, there was controversy over who was actually in the photograph. The true identifies of those photographed are: Corporal Harlon Block, Private First Class Harold Keller, Private First Class Franklin Sousley, Sergeant Mike Strank, Private First Class Harold Schultz, and Private First Class Ira Hayes.
Books about Iwo Jima
Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley
Two Flags Over Iwo Jima by Eric Hammel
The Lions of Iwo Jima by Fred Haynes
Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor by Bill Ross
Red Blood, Black Sand by Chuck Tatum (ebook)
Michael Walsh is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading Concrete Leprechaun by Steve Walsh.