On Feb. 19, 1945, more than 70,000 U.S. Marines conducted an amphibious assault to take the Island of Iwo Jima from fortified Japanese forces. Over the next 36 days nearly 7,000 Marines would be...
In describing the Battle of Iwo Jima that began Feb. 19, 1945, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said, “uncommon valor was a common virtue.” Throughout a battle-long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of one...
The Marine Corps will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima during a 36-day-long observance, Feb. 19 – March 2, 2020.In ALMAR 02-20, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H...
The Battle of Iwo Jima is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and defining battles for the U.S. Marine Corps. The countless acts of selflessness and uncommon valor created a fighting spirit still...
The only surviving Marine to have received the Medal of Honor during World War II, Cpl. Hershel “Woody” Williams, remembers the sound of the waves crashing along the shore upon arrival in Iwo Jima in...
The Battle of Iwo Jima, a brutal but defining moment in Marine Corps history, was filled with uncommon valor and heroic actions by Marines and Sailors. Marines like, Private Wilson “Doug” Watson,...
After returning home from the Battle of Iwo Jima and receiving the Medal of Honor, PFC Douglas T. Jacobson’s dedication to the Marine Corps was far from finished.A native of Rochester, New York,...
As the Marines stormed the beaches during World War II, Navy hospital corpsmen were alongside them for every battle in the Pacific. During the violent Battle of Iwo Jima, hospital corpsmen’s medical...
Feb 21 2020
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Cpl. Rachel Mendieta
Iwo Jima U.S. Navy veteran Mort Block, at right, observes the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15, 2020. Twenty-eight Iwo Jima veterans attended the event, which is the final commemoration ceremony scheduled by the Iwo Jima Commemorative Committee and included a wreath laying, 21-gun artillery salute, a remembrance for the fallen with “Taps”, and a traditional cake-cutting ceremony featuring the oldest and youngest Marines present. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Rachel Mendieta)
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Lance Cpl. Audrey Schmitt Alves
Sgt. Ross F. Gray was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima on Feb. 21, 1945.
Feb 19 2020
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Marine Corps photo
Marines fire on Japanese fortifications on Iwo Jima on, or shortly after, Feb. 19, 1945.
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Navy photo
Marines land on Iwo Jima, Feb. 19, 1945.
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Joe Rosenthal
U.S. Marines raise the flag atop Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, Feb. 23, 1945.
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The battleship USS New York fires its 14-inch guns on Japanese encampments on Iwo Jima, Feb. 16, 1945, in preparation for the Marine landings.
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Staff Sgt. Royce Dorman
Iwo Jima veteran Marine Cpl. Samuel Prestigiacomo attends the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Sgt. Alejandra Cabrera, left, and Sgt. Mariela Quiles, both administrative specialists from Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations-West, carry the wreath at the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Iwo Jima veterans, along with more than 100 others in attendance, stand and salute during the national anthem at the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Len Maffioli, an Iwo Jima veteran and master of ceremonies, waits for the start of the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Marine Iwo Jima veteran Pfc. Dell Littrell poses for a photo before the start of the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Twenty-eight Iwo Jima veterans and members of the Iwo Jima Commemorative Committee pose for a group photo after the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.
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Iwo Jima Marine veteran Thomas H. Begay, center, a Navajo Code Talker, shares his scrapbook of photos from his time as a Marine to Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, right, commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Maj. Gen. Robert F. Castellvi, left, commanding general of 1st Marine Division, before the start of the 75th Commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima sunset ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 15.