WEBVTT 00:01.950 --> 00:05.260 - [Veteran] And time is said to be the great healer, 00:05.260 --> 00:08.483 and time, of course, has allowed physical wounds to heal. 00:09.790 --> 00:11.503 But healing has left deep scars 00:12.500 --> 00:14.808 for many of the survivors. 00:14.808 --> 00:17.684 (cannons firing) 00:17.684 --> 00:20.022 (explosions) 00:20.022 --> 00:22.670 (gunfire) 00:22.670 --> 00:25.100 - Everybody thought it was a cake walk. 00:25.100 --> 00:27.730 They let the first wave come in 00:27.730 --> 00:30.250 and go like about 50 yards up on the beach. 00:30.250 --> 00:31.809 Second wave come in. 00:31.809 --> 00:36.700 Third wave they opened up, they got em in a crossfire. 00:36.700 --> 00:38.613 They could shoot, they had more depth. 00:41.260 --> 00:42.953 And that's when the slaughter started. 00:44.210 --> 00:45.160 It was a slaughter. 00:46.071 --> 00:47.470 (explosions) 00:47.470 --> 00:48.303 (distant soldiers yelling) 00:48.303 --> 00:49.880 - They had us all spotted like sitting ducks 00:49.880 --> 00:50.913 down the flat area. 00:51.780 --> 00:53.120 And this was one of the smart things 00:53.120 --> 00:55.710 that Lieutenant General Kuribayashi did was, 00:55.710 --> 00:57.900 he didn't try to fight us at the water line, 00:57.900 --> 01:00.490 because he knew that hadn't worked in other places. 01:00.490 --> 01:02.240 So, he let us get up to a killing zone 01:02.240 --> 01:04.550 where every square meter of that area 01:04.550 --> 01:08.152 was targeted by heavy weapon or machine guns, 01:08.152 --> 01:09.533 or mortars or whatever. 01:10.550 --> 01:13.050 So you got 2,000 casualties just on the first day. 01:15.060 --> 01:17.530 - [Peter MacDonald] First 48 hours at Iwo Jima landing 01:18.560 --> 01:22.678 over 800 messages were sent through Navajo network. 01:22.678 --> 01:26.089 Every second, every minute there's 01:26.089 --> 01:29.040 a Navajo code going through the air, 01:29.040 --> 01:31.919 from the front line beach command post 01:31.919 --> 01:34.010 out to the command ship 01:34.010 --> 01:36.500 where the generals and the admirals are. 01:36.500 --> 01:39.783 If it wasn't for Navajo Marine Code Talkers, 01:39.783 --> 01:44.720 Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima. 01:44.720 --> 01:46.497 - [Snowden] Now I'm quite often asked, 01:46.497 --> 01:49.538 "What was your most effective weapon on Iwo Jima? 01:49.538 --> 01:51.057 "Flamethrower? 01:52.157 --> 01:53.087 "Flame tanks? 01:54.177 --> 01:55.010 "Mortars? 01:58.149 --> 01:59.477 "Machine guns? 01:59.477 --> 02:00.707 "Individual rifles?" 02:01.626 --> 02:04.070 My answer is none of the above. 02:04.070 --> 02:06.653 My most effective weapon was the individual Marine, 02:07.542 --> 02:10.870 brave that he was, willing to take risks, 02:10.870 --> 02:12.550 knew what he was up against 02:12.550 --> 02:13.800 and charged ahead anyway. 02:14.660 --> 02:16.334 And when you've got that kind of performance 02:16.334 --> 02:17.873 out of your Marines, 02:17.873 --> 02:18.828 you're gonna win.