...The American amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima during World War 11 stemmed from the need for a base near the Japanese coast . Following elaborate preparatory air and naval bombardment, three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops, who fought from an elaborate network of caves, dugouts, tunnels and underground installations. Despite the difficulty of the conditions, the marines wiped out the defending forces after a month of fighting, and the battle earned a place in American lore with the publication of a photograph showing the U.S. flag being raised in victory. The flag-raising atop Mt. Suribachi took place on February 23, 1945; five days after the...
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...The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces landed and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. The American invasion, designated Operation Detachment, had the goal of capturing the entire island, including the three Japanese-controlled airfields (including the South Field and the Central Field), to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands.[2] This five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II. After the heavy losses incurred in the battle, the strategic value of the island became controversial. It was useless to the U.S. Army as a staging base and useless to the U.S. Navy as a fleet base.[4] However, Navy Seabees rebuilt the landing strips, which were used as emergency landing strips for USAAF B-29s.[5] The Imperial Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a dense network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and 18 km (11 mi) of underground tunnels.[6][7] The Americans on the ground were supported by extensive naval artillery and complete air supremacy over Iwo Jima from the beginning of the battle by U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators.[8] Iwo Jima was also the only battle by the U.S. Marine Corps in which the American casualties exceeded the Japanese, although Japanese combat deaths numbered three times the number of American deaths...
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...fought a battle of courage, fear, anguish but above all the sense of patriotism and unity that the American people and soldiers felt when the battle was over and the faint glimmer of peace finally ignited. In the pacific Iwo Jima is quite an insignificant little six mile wide island covered in volcanic ash and hardly any vegetation with mount Suribachi a dormant volcano towering over the rest of the island. Its military vantage in 1944: none. It was originally a deserted island where ample smuggling took place for many centuries, but in 1917 the Japanese decide to set up on Iwo Jima a radio station, 5 soldiers, and 1 weatherman besides that no other major improvement took place until starting of WWII when Japan was being threatened by the U.S strategy of “island hopping”, strategy of attacking each separate island and trying to demolish it before the Japanese knew what was happening. It was a U.S type blitzkrieg using the same lightning speed the only difference was it attacked each little island in the pacific which was slow and quite gruesome. With the American invasion of the Marshalls in early February 1945, following the crippling strikes against the Truk Islands that same month, the Japanese imperial high command voted to take serious steps to reinforce Iwo because of the threat of the fall of the Marianas and Carolines Islands. In February of that same year the buildup began. Antiaircraft guns, rifles, cannons, men, tanks, etc. Japanese soldiers started arriving from other...
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...Phillip Padgett 2/20/15 Mrs. Sehorn/Mr.Hills SS/LA Battle of Iwo Jima Picture it, explosions everywhere, men dying at every corner, the smell of gunpowder in the air, screaming mortars flying through the air that blew up numerous Americans.I just gave you ingredients to The Battle of Iwo Jima, in 1945, a battle in which the Americans attacked the Japanese for claiming Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is actually an island around 570 miles away from mainland Japan, Iwo Jima in Japanese translates to “Sulfur Island” in Japanese, and was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese Navy and Army and was the only battle in which the Americans suffered more casualties than the Japanese did, Americans suffered 5,372 casualties, originally there were 11,250 men enlisted in the battle. 1,131 American soldiers died in the fight and...
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...The island Iwo Jima was founded by a sailor Bernardo de la Torre and name it sulfur island in October 1543. Iwo Jima was a battle between America and the Japanese that took place on February 19th 1945 D-day during World War II. D-day was also known as the day which combat attack will be initiated. That day there was 450 plus ships lined up on the shores of the island. Iwo Jima was part of a three point plan that the Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. Iwo Jima is a very small pacific island 4.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide covered in volcanic rock. It is located at the foot of the Bonin Chain of Islands south of the main Japanese Island of Honshu. Although the Island is quite small it is considered to the Great tactical importance. Since the island was so important the Japanese were determined to keep control of it....
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...Flags of Our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima by James Bradley with Ron Powers. The novel I read was adapted for young people by Michael French and published in 2001. The author, James Bradley, intended to retell the lives of the men in the infamous flag raising statue. Among these figures were James Bradley’s father, John Henry Bradley. Since few people knew who these young heroes were that raised the flag, James Bradley was going to make it clear the intention of these men’s lives and their dedication to the United States of America. James Bradley spent four years of his life researching with these six men’s families about what they knew of their relatives’ lives. As time progressed, James Bradley realized that these men all had one thing in common. They were all humble men that fought in the battle at Iwo Jima to defend their lives’ of their families and of those around them. James Bradley was one of eight children. His mother was named Elizabeth Van Gorp. In the beginning of this novel, the author introduced the men and their individual lives before the war. Each man had his life ahead of him. The six flag raisers, John Bradley, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Mike Strank, and Rene Gagnon, and all young men in America were planning their futures regarding women whom they would marry, what job...
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...He presided over two of the toughest times in United States history, The Great Depression and World War II. The F.D.R memorial consists of 7.5 acres of red South Dakota granite. It is divided into four different parts, each representing one of his terms. The memorial includes a bronze statue of the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to honor her dedication to the United Nations. The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February of 1945 during World War II when the Japanese were fighting hard to protect their country. The tiny island that they were fighting on took over a month to capture, even under the command of Admiral Raymond Spruance. The Iwo Jima Memorial is also known as the Marine Corps War Memorial. A bronze statue of six Marines raising a flag represents the ending of the war in the Pacific. The monument is 32 feet tall and was sculpted by Felix W. De Weldin. George Washington was the United State’s first president. One of the first things that he did during his presidency was establish the Cabinet, a group of people who would help Washington during his presidency. Once his 4 years were up, Washington was unanimously re-elected president. He set the precedent to only serve two terms in office. Only two vetoes were ever inflicted during his time as...
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...the American flag on top of Mount Suribachi in the Pacific Island of Iwo Jima. The memorial is created for those who have fought for the country and have passed way doing so. The sculpture was based on a photograph caught by Joe Rosenthal that same day in February. Later on after the photo was taken it was used to create what is known as the Marine Corps Memorial or the Iwo Jima memorial. The battle of Iwo Jima lasted more than thirty six days. Both the Americans and Japanese lost a huge amount of soldiers due to the fight. The war took place in a small island, it contained an old volcano that was used to get a better view of the island from the highest point. After four days of a rough battle the Americans were able to capture the mountain. They raised a small flag to show a symbol of victory, later on the flag was taken down and replaced by a bigger one. The memorial is located outside of the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The sculptor Felix W. de Weldon worked with the three surviving soldiers from the war, Rene A, Gagnon, John...
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...Slowly, the remaining Japanese surrendered—the longest holdouts did not give themselves up until several years after the war ended—but the vast majority of the garrison had fought to the death: 20,000 Japanese died in defense of Iwo Jima. American casualties were staggeringly high as well: nearly 7,000 killed and more than 18,000 wounded. In terms of overall casualties, the invading marines had lost more men than did the defenders. This high toll caused many to question the worth of taking the island. Using Iwo Jima as a fighter base, the original rationale for taking the island, proved unnecessary. Other islands continued to serve as warning stations for bomber attacks until the end of the war. But the island did provide an important sanctuary for returning American bombers in desperate straits—over 2,000 B-29s would make emergency landings there over the next five months. Perhaps most importantly, the struggle for Iwo Jima was a huge boost to the American war effort. The "Mount Suribachi" photo was immediately turned into a war bonds poster and the surviving men from the photo were brought home for publicity tours. Naval Secretary James Forrestal perhaps put it best upon seeing the first flag go up: "the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred...
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...On February 19, 1945 American soldiers made their first strike on the japanese, beginning the battle of Iwo Jima. Seventy years ago U.S. marines began the invasion in Iwo Jima, leading to many deaths of both sides, the Americans and the Japanese. Iwo Jima was just a island until the japanese took over and made it into their airbase. The island was very important strategically for the U.S. fighter planes because it could serve as their base for U.S. heavy bombers to fly to japan from bases on saipan, but the japanese wasn't trying to give it up that easy. The Japs were unique for their top three strategies which were that they fought beneath ground, they believed in dying for their country with a saying called “no japanese survivors”...
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...By: S. O'Malley The battle for Iwo Jima was perhaps one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific campaign. The island of Iwo Jima was worth strategical importance to the U.S. and the Empire of Japan. For the Americans, Iwo Jima was the one island causing problems for their bombing raids on Tokyo. With Iwo Jima in Allied hands, bombers could fly through the Pacific and bomb Tokyo without problems. For the Japanese Iwo protected them from bombers and attacks, but it was more important to them for another reason. Iwo was Japanese soil or sacred ground to them, it was a matter of pride, no invading army had ever successfully invaded Japan. The U.S. Marine Corps strategy for taking Iwo was simple and straightforward. Three Marine Corps divisions were to invade Iwo Jima. The 4th and 5th divisions first task was to secure Mt. Suribachi and the surrounding area. Then with support from the 3rd Marine division they would advance northeast and secure the rest of Iwo Jima. The Japanese plan of defense was much more intricate and complicated. The Japanese commander General Kuribayashi constructed a massive tunnel network throughout Mt. Suribachi and the island. Mt. Suribachi was honeycombed with over 1,500 rooms underground. The surface of the island was covered in concealed foxholes, pillboxes, blockhouses, and other assorted structures. He had two more parts to this strategy. He told his troops that there was no surrender. To surrender was to bring dishonor on their family. The...
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...In Flags of our Fathers, by James Bradley, a venture of six strangers is conveyed through text. Flag of Our Fathers details the different backgrounds of each of the six men in unforgettable imagery and gives a history of the war. It enlightens the unknown details of a heroic picture regarded and taught to many. James Bradley, the son of one of the flag raisers, travels and researches the true stories of John Bradley, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Mike Strank. Although these six men are the greatest symbol of the battle at Iwo Jima it is mainly because of the image not their stories. There were other heroes of the war and this is one reason why John Bradley did not say much about his experiences at Iwo Jima. John believed he was not the hero, that the heroes were the men lost in battle. Curiosity was a primary reason James Bradley decided to research this topic. Bradley explains why John never said a word about what happened, including never mentioning an award he received. He wanted to know why his father never spoke of war and why they only learned about what happened after he had passed. James’ interest pushed him to learn if the other five men affected by this image shared the same beliefs as his father....
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...Toni Baldock 10 October 2012 The Eye in the Lens As a child, I loved looking at the pictures in the National Geographic magazine. I was intrigued by the cultural differences from around the world. I was amazed to see photographs of African woman bare breasted and comfortable with themselves. To me it has always been shameful for any women to be bare breasted because that was what I was raised to believe; that is the way of our culture. The magazine took me to many lands and showed me things I knew nothing about. This was when I became aware of the world around me. I realized I wanted to be a part of more than the town I lived in, the school I went to, or the people I knew. Through the eyes of documentary photographers I have seen the world from many different points of view, but I want to see the world in an intimate experience. I have a deep desire to engage with other cultures and capture moments that the rest of the world will be able to see through my photographs. I want to one day soon become a documentary photographer. Documentary photography is an effort to create a truthful expression of lives and cultures of our world and human actions. It can only be truthful and honest if it is left unedited and captures true events as they are happening. Hans Durrer is an author and intercultural coach. He describes photography as this: “Photography is still about the eye behind the lens. It is about being a filter, and it is about recording. It is about leaving one’s home...
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...Flags of our Fathers “Flags of Our Fathers" is a very famous novel, based on true events, that describes one of our country's most popular, historic events. James Bradley is not only the author of the book, but also the son of one of the flag raisers in the novel. The story tells us about the six heroes who rose the United States flag during the bloody battle of Iwo Jima. These men, were not just any ordinary flag raisers; they were men who symbolized our countries strength, honor, victory, and courage, during one of the nations greatest battles. Bradley begins the story by stating that his father, John Bradley, kept to himself when it came to discussing the events of Iwo Jima, the flag raising, and the events that followed. He explains that this was the reason in which he decided to research the 6 lives of the men who now are commemorated in museums, statues, and history books all around the world. These 6 men consisted of John Bradley, who was from Appleton, Wisconsin; Ira Hayes, who was a Pima Indian from a reservation in Phoenix, Arizona; Harlon Block, who was from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas; Mike Strank, who was a Czech immigrant, but raised in Pennsylvania; Franklin Sousley, who was from Hilltop, Kentucky; and Rene Gagnon, who was from Manchester, New Hampshire. They were all young men, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-four. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, our nation’s attitude towards WWII changed. Many young men realized that our country was in desperate...
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...World War II, beginning in 1939 and ending in 1945 was the biggest war in history. It all started with the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, and then progressed to create a whole entire World War, with the two sides being the Axis, which included Germany, and the Allies, who included the United States. During World War II, there were many crucial battles that decided the victor of this war, one of them being the battle between the United States and Japan, known as the Battle of Iwo Jima. In World War II, alliances were very useful in many battles throughout the six years of war. The first alliance was known as the Axis, who included Germany, Japan, Hungary, and other countries. That alliance went against the Allies, which included the United States of America, France, USSR, China, and many other countries. One battle which included the United States fighting the Japanese Imperial Army, it created the battle of Iwo Jima. This battle lasted for thirty eight days, but those days felt much longer....
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