Iwo Jima Day

The Battle of Iwo Jima is considered the last American landing on the Pacific Theater and the battle that marked the end of all resistance by the Japanese. On February 19, 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima officially took place with the bloody landing of the US Marines on this island, this was also the battle marking the last resistance of the Japanese before the advance like the American storm in the Pacific. To commemorate the Battle of Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima Day is held annually on February 19, officially in Massachusetts and unofficially in the United States.

The battle of Iwo Jima is one of the 10 fiercest battles in World War 2. Taking place from February 19 to March 26, 1945, the US and Japan had a fierce battle on Iwo Jima Island at the front. Pacific.

The battles between the United States and Japan on the island of Iwo Jima took place in 36 days of extreme fierceness as the Japanese army fought frantically to hold the place.

Before the fierce resistance of Japanese forces, the US army, including the marines, strained to fight the enemy, determined not to let the enemy gain an advantage.

The US wants to capture Iwo Jima from Japan to create a springboard to win other islands before entering its territory.

Therefore, the US deployed a large force with more than 110,000 troops to participate in the battle of Iwo Jima. 17 aircraft carriers and 1,170 aircraft were also mobilized to defeat the Japanese forces.

Meanwhile, the Japanese force consisted of 22,000 soldiers. Because the Japanese soldiers fought frantically to the death and were well prepared, the American forces suffered great losses.

The terrain of this island is very unfavorable for landing because it has a rather large mountain in the western corner. The Japanese soldiers carved the mountain and placed artillery inside this mountain to pour fire directly on the American troops as soon as they set foot on the shore.

Due to being a volcanic island, Iwo Jima has very few trees and this leaves the US Marines on the island completely unprotected, like "fish in a pot".

The fighting on the island's only mountain was grueling as the United States encountered an effective guerrilla attack by the Japanese.

The battle lasted until March 26 and the American side had to receive terrible casualties with 6,800 soldiers killed, nearly 20,000 wounded, more than 200 soldiers missing, 168 planes shot down and 1 Small aircraft carrier sunk.

In return, the Japanese side lost 20,000 soldiers - almost all of the troops stationed on the island and just over 1,000 were taken prisoner. The Japanese Navy also sank three submarines while participating in the attack on the US Navy in this battle.

The bloody battle of Iwo Jima made American military generals believe that if they landed on Japanese territory, at least 1 million American soldiers would die before Japan surrendered.

In the end, to avoid a bloodbath in Japanese territory, the Americans decided to use atomic bombs to subdue the Japanese as quickly as possible.

Observing International Iwo Jima Day

On the anniversary of International Iwo Jima Day, the best way to commemorate this day is to visit the island of Iwo Jima, the site of the fiercest war between Japan and the United States in World War II. You can climb Mount Siibachi or head to the commemorative marker. Or, you can go to other sites like the Marines War Memorial; or the National Museum of World War II to see what remains. Besides, you can search and watch the footage of the war at this Iwo Jima Island to better understand.