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@americana.pipedream 🇺🇸🇯🇵 Today marks the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. The Japanese held their fire until the beach was crowded, then mortars and machine guns started cutting lanes through men and equipment. What followed was a 36 day grind against bunkers, caves, and tunnels, where flame and demolitions did the work that shells could not finish. The flag went up on Mount Suribachi on February 23, but the battle kept chewing up units for weeks after. Marine flamethrower operator Hershel “Woody” Williams later said, “Much of that day was absolutely blank,” and remembered learning two men covering him were killed doing it. Nearly 7,000 Marines died there, and about 20,000 more were wounded. Japanese casualties are estimated to be roughly 20,000 KIA, with only 216 captured.
