I heard the other day on the History Channel that Iwo Jima, the island off Japan, that we fought for and won, at the expense of many brave lives, was given back to the Japanese after WWII. Then, it seems that they didn’t want it and because no one wanted to live there, it fell into “disrepair” and is rarely visited to this day.
Question: Why doesn’t the US ask for it back and erect some kind of memorial there that people could go and visit, including a trip to Mt. Surabachi?
Charlie
Did a little googling and turned up lots of sites about the battle and the memorial in DC.
The only site that had any info on it after the war said the US gave it up in 1968. It didn’t say to whom, but one assumes it was to Japan.
Evidently there is some activity on the island as they mentioned that it was mined for sulfar.
Well, it seems to me, not being a WWII Vet, but a Vietnam Vet, that to create such a great memorial in Washington and for the Marines to continue to mention it so prominently, that it should have some better fate than just being relegated to obscurity. If the island is so remote and obscure, why did so many have to die in capturing it? Also, with the symbol of raising the flag on Mt. Surabachi being so ingrained in every American’s mind, you’d think that the Marine Vets would do something such as petition to get it back, if only for the tourist attraction if could be.
Choens, Iwo Jima is the most worthless peice of real estate on God’s green earth. There is literally *nothing * there.
As for why we had to capture it - watch the History Channel for a day or so, and you will find out. It was the perfect emergency strip for our B-29’s on their way back from burning Japan to ashes. In fact, several bombers landed there before the island was secured. It is estimated that more lives were saved by capturing the island than were lost in securing it. Of our prople, of course. Total Japanese casualties are unknown.
Because it is so remote, it is next to impossible to get to. There is absolutely no scenery, and I doubt any Marine who was there would ever want to see that Godforesaken rock ever again.
Yes it was returned to Japan. There are no civilians living there now, but there is a small Japanese military base (air field).
I’m not too sure if there is any mining activity going on now. But “Iwo Jima” does mean “sulfur island.”
Well, maybe Trump should put a casino or hotel there. I’m just kidding of course, but as a Vet myself, it seems to me that it should be memorialized in some way even if it’s with a plaque or with Japan ceding it back to the US for historical reasons. Thanks for your replies. That’s what makes this forum the best!
Charlie
An interesting piece on Iwo Jima by P.J. O’Rourke, from the June 2004 issue of The Atlantic Monthly.
The island is a Japanese military base, but they’re our allies now, and U.S. Marines in particular still make official “pilgrimages” there.
One point from that article is that many Japanese families visit the island to honor their dead–almost three times as many Japanese died there as did Americans. In fact, the bodies of the Americans are supposed to have all been removed and re-buried in American soil; by contrast, many Japanese are still buried where they died in the tunnels and caves.
Ok… I’m Japanese and here’s what I remember from living in Japan as well as learning the History.
Iwo Jima was returned to Japan in the 60’s. Also Okinawa was returned in the 70’s to Japan. Some Okinawans to this day feel that they were abandoned by Japan after the war. Even though the occupation was unavoidable, many Okinawans still refuse to sing the Japanese national anthem.
Iwo Jima is unhabitable and a little too far from Japan. However, I believe Japan will never let the island go for economic reasons. The island serves their claim on fishing rights for Japanese fishermen. I believe there is an island in Japan that is about 2feet wide surrounded by concrete in order to protect the Japanese territory claim.
The island of Iwo Jima is practically uninhabitable, but it was used as an air base by the Japanese. A large number of devastating air attacks (including many kamikaze attacks) were launched from Iwo Jima, which is why the War Department thought it was critical to take the island.
The island itself is of practically no value in peacetime.