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Battle Of Iwo Jima Essay

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Battle of Iwo Jima Iwo Jima is a volcanic island located approximately 1,200 km south of Tokyo, 1,300 km north of Guam with Mount Suribachi at its southern tip being its most prominent feature. As described by Ted Allenby, a U.S. Marine who fought on the island: "… It was ghastly. Iwo was a volcanic island with very little concealment. Cover is something you hide behind—a tree, a bush, a rock. Few trees. No grass. It was almost like a piece of the moon that had dropped down to earth." Despite the island being small, twenty-two thousand Japanese army and navy troops were stationed there during World War II. An intricate complex of tunnels, gun positions, and caves made the island especially formidable. As a result, before the American marines landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 the island had to be bombed from the air for seventy-two …show more content…

We must fight from cover as long as we possibly can.. Each man will make it his duty to kill ten of the enemy before dying” (pg 349). Every man on both sides had an objective and a duty to themselves and their country. Geography played a major role in the battle because Iwo Jima was very small but the Japanese had a defense system already prepared for war, even though it did not last, their defense system still managed to take several lives. The Japanese pilots that shot down Americans helped the defensive system and also helped with the camouflage and knowing the island of where to hide and how to be prepared. The Americans knowing the island is volcanic, surrounded by water and also not being that large in size, helped with their objective of taking over for the use of emergency landing ports. The Americans most likely studied the land geography from every angle and that is how the Americans were able to conquer Iwo

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