I Hiked Iwo Jima: A Virtual WWII Battlefield Tour 

In honor and memory of CPL. Raulo Malm, 5th Marine Division, 1942-1945. Was wounded twice on Iwo and survived. Patriot. Mentor. And my friend.

You've done a nice job. Thank you for sharing. I visited Iwo Jima in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the battle with my father. He was a former 17 year old Marine who came of age quickly in February 1945 on Iwo. He was reluctant to return but I persisted and he agreed to go. He had endured recurring nightmares in the intervening years since the battle. He reached out to fellow Marines who where there with him to join us. He only was able to convince one other to come. I'm glad he did. The two of them reminisced freely something I had never heard dad do. The trip had another benefit. Dad never had nightmares from then on. I suppose is was closure for him. The island has changed a bit since my visit. The Marine Corps was allowed to come in and clean up the place and repair the roads prior to our trip. One of the Marines we met there happened to be from our home state. He was so excited to have us there, he took it upon himself to escort us for the full day. He told us he had been there for two months as part of the clean up effort. We were transported about by U.S. military trucks that facilitated seeing more of the island. The entire island was open. We were able to see a hospital cave and Kuribayashi's command cave and well as other sites. We stayed on Saipan before flying to Iwo for the day. While touring there, a local news crew approached dad and his fellow Marine friend. Among the questions asked of them, the one that still is clear in my mind was, "What do you think about being considered heroes for what you did." Without hesitation dad said what was common to all Marines. He said, "We are not heroes. We were all just doing our job. The real heroes are the ones that didn't come home." We had an extended layover in Honolulu on the way home. It allowed us time to rent a car and visit Pearl Harbor. The highlight of the trip came at the Arizona Memorial. The crowd gathered there was somewhat light which made it easy to move about and provided space for private contemplation. While inside the pavilion that straddles the Arizona, I saw three older Marine veterans wearing hats from our tour. They were standing at the rail overlooking the sunken ship. They reached into their pockets to retrieve glass viles that we were given to fill with Iwo Jima sand. I was standing close enough to witness one of the most touching moments of my life. They sprinkled the sand from their viles over the Arizona accompanied by the words, "We got the sons of bitches for ya." The words were not in keeping with today's standards but spoke volumes of the sentiments of men who's sacrifice and life time commitment had never waivered.

It sad both sides lost so many men over this rock. May the souls rest in peace 🙏

I’m originally from Dayton Ohio and have met a survivor of Iwo Jima by the name of JR Kelly. He passed in 2012, but he was a big figure in the community, he owned a motorcycle shop for years, but was at Mount Surabachi when the flag was raised.

A friend of mine, Chuck Lindberg, was the last living Marine to raise the first flag on Iwo. Chuck is standing far left at 1:05. Chuck's bust is the centerpiece of The Honoring all Veterans Memorial at Veterans Park in Richfield, MN.

I feel Iwo Jima should have been a place we should have kept. I live in Western NC. 2019 I was leaving the local Home Depot and spotted an elderly man in a car wearing an Iwo Jima ball cap. I stopped to tell him Thank You for your service. I asked him when he landed on Iwo Jima. He told me the first day. I asked What division he was with; he said he was a US Navy Corpsman. I was shocked when he said he left Iwo in September 1945. We talked for almost an hour. Then his daughter came out and said, Daddy, I see you have met another military friend. I just happened to be wearing my USS Ben Franklin SSBN 640 ball cap that day. I still feel the honor to have been able to meet him that day.

My Dad was on Iwo Jima 5th Division, 5th Tank Battalion, Company B. He died in 1987, but I was very fortunate in that he shared quite a bit of his experiences, quite a bit, but not everything. He and his buddies are my heroes and I respect them so, so much.

When I attended Marine Corps boot camp in 1981, on Sunday we could watch any movie we wanted, as long as that movie was the Sands of Iwo Jima.

The land where giants once trod. We owe them thanks and gratitude. No words can do it justice. Semper Fidelis.

My father faught there the first day. He was in the 3rd division. He hardly ever talked about it till later in his life.He, like everybody else had it pretty rough over there. He always said he was lucky to make it off with just a few shapnel pieces in his arms.

My dad was also on Iwo in the 5th Marine Division, 27th Marines. He was a radio operator and he came off the island without a scratch. That in itself was a miracle because he lost alot of friends. He died from cancer in 1996. I want so badly to visit but will probably never have the opportunity.

In 1992, the Local Island Security was cooperative to our 3D MAR DIV Tour and were permitted to search in caves and many places around the Island.

My Dad was there, 18 years old. He still had shrapnel in his legs when we buried him in 1994.

I was there on this very day with the WWII Museum. The hike was challenging to be sure with no water on the trail, save for atop Mt. Suribachi. It was a humbling experience and one I will never forget. I possess endless respect for every man who fought and died on this island. Thank you for posting this video so I could relive the experience.

My grandfather fought on Iwo with the 5th MarDiv Recon Co.. I had the honor of visiting Iwo in 1998 while I was in 2nd MarDiv 2\6 Fox Co.

My late father-in-law was aboard the USS Tennessee during the invasion of Iwo Jima. He never talked about his military years and the only reminder was his baseball cap with USS Tennessee embossed on it.

My father in law, Cpl Elbert Beaver was there with the 5th Marine Div, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Platoon, Easy company, part of the Marines who raised the initial flag. In later years, Joe Rosenthal sent him an autographed picture recognizing Eb on that day. He lived in Ducktown, TN. Nicest man you would ever meet.

While serving in the Marines and stationed on Okinawa in 1992, I was invited to Iwo Jima for a 4 day tour of the island. What an honor it was to walk in the same foot steps as our hero's. Now, I would love to go back for another tour. Great video, thank you for sharing !!!

My Dad, an 18 year old kid from rural Texas, landed on Blue Beach 2 with the 3rd wave as part of the APA 195, USS Sanborn's, shore party, along with members of the 4th Marine Division. I spoke with him about that day often before he passed away and am still in awe of the courage that he, and so many US servicemen displayed that day. His buddy, Edgar Otto Linke, a crewman on another APA, was killed that morning as his landing craft was struck by a mortar just before reaching the beach. Edgar was a little more than a month shy of his 18th birthday and is now buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

My uncle Bertil Fellman (Company K, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division) was kia Iwo Jima on February 20 1945. The most I have been able to find out about him was that he was in a machine gun squad, that was from a Marine friend who had written my mother a letter about him. She has tried to reach out to find more about him and what happened to him in that battle but I suspect those buddies who knew and who may have survived are almost or all gone now.

My father was a member of the 4th Marine Division. He made four landings in the Central Pacific, the last one being Iwo jima. He landed in the first wave and despite the actions he endured on Iwo Jima he always said that for him Saipan was the worst battle. As a kid I remember when the US Government handed IwoJima back to the Japanese in 1968. To put it mildly my father was not happy with the decision. He said then and always that they should have waited until all the Marine veterans of that battle were gone before handing it back to the Japanese. He felt it was insult to all of the Americnas who fought there and I agree with him!

I have floated by Iwo Jima during the VN war in 1969 , Amazing how peaceful it was. I served on the USS Blue DD 744 which was there shown in historic photos, during the battle. My step father was there during the battle, on the USS Cofer DE-208/APD-62. he was in the UDT, now known as the Navy Seals.

Lost my Grand Uncle 2 years ago, he was a survivor of Iwo, Saipan, and Tinian. He was a corporal 5th marine div lvt (landing vehicle tracked).

Jared, Extremely well done. I should know because I was also on Iwo that day. Seeing your video, I could relate in so many ways. The vistas; the hallowed ground; the multiple stops, the heavy breathing etc...I am a 78 year old retired history teacher and have written four books on WWII. Iwo was on my bucket list. We were there with a small group from the International Museum of World War II in Rhode Island doing a documentary. We were following the footsteps of a 5th Division Marine. His son and wife were with us. I believe it will be called "The Final Landing on Iwo Jima" and will eventually be released on public service television and distributed to many schools. I also carried copies of dog tags with me of two great uncles who were KIA. One, Carl Werme, was KIA on Saipan and his brother Richard was killed in Korea in 1951. They are both buried at the Punch Bowl in Hawaii. My goal was to place these dog tags on the rack on the top of Suribachi and I'm very proud to have accomplished that goal. Thank You for sharing your adventure!

A couple of years ago, I was at the MC museum Quantico when surprisingly came across the ACTUAL (1st) Surabachi flag. It was under plexiglass. It caught me by surprise and I teared up instantly. The gentleman that was there saw this and handed me a vial of Iwo Sand. I have not cried since I was 10. Watching your Vid reminds me of my time on Okinawa (circa 89). When I turned down a hop flight to Iwo. Now I know what I missed. Great job! and thanks. Perhaps I'll make there some day.

Thank you very much for sharing this, you saved me a lot of money from visiting the island, the tour was great! The closest I got to Iwo Jima was fall of 1982 I was on the USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) a Marine myself we all had to go on the flight deck and saluted as we were going by Iwo Jima heading west on our way to the Philippines. My ex-wife's grandfather who was a Marine fought on Iwo Jima and we talked about it. Sadly he paased on in 2006. Again thank you for sharing this tour I really appreciated and enjoyed it!

My Uncle John served in an Army unit on Iwo Jima. He was on the island for almost a year after the battle ended.

I walked the same walk on Iwo Jima in February 2017, it was the trip of a lifetime for sure!

Thank you for taking me along on your journey. My father was there on a destroyer offshore

I was lucky enough that in 2004 I, with a lot of other Marines, re-enlisted on top of Mt Suribachi. After the ceremony, we were able to explore the island for nearly two hours.

Terrific video, thank you. I was fortunate to be on the 1995 trip for the 50th anniversary. I was age 39 in 1995 and walked the footsteps of my father who was there in 1945 as a Marine platoon leader, he had passed in 1989. As per his military records he “ arrived February and 24, disembarked at Iwo Jima, Volcano islands”.. and goes on to read “ April 15 embarked aboard USS BOESCH FONTEIN at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands and sailed therefrom”.” He was a platoon leader in the 3rd Marine Division, the floating reserve. It was a highlight of my life. I returned again on the 2000 trip. Thank you for the awesome video and thanks Dad.

I got to hike from the airfield to the top of Mt Suribachi, down to the main landing beach and back to the airfield this past July. Just over 11 miles total, and truly one of the most humbling moments of my life. Absolutely surreal.

Just want to thank everyone in the comments for mentioning their family members who served at Iwo Jima. I’m grateful to know of them. Humbled by their courage.

I had a similar feeling to what you experienced when I took part In a medieval battle re enactments at crecy when I noticed white flag posts on the hills around us .what are they for? That's the line of the trench network from ww1 ....on the road there where markers from ww2 ..it was a shock to realise that I was surrounded by the remains of British dead form nearly 700 years ...

Watching this is amazing to see the hell that our troops battled threw I couldn't imagine how our men and woman were feeling at time walking threw fire

Massive respect, Jared ... Well done! My Mother's young 17 year old brother, "Boo" Miller, was part of a mortar team in the first wave. They had just begun firing a few rounds when they were hit by a large caliber artillery round, killing the entire team and several other nearby Marines. My Father's older brother John Hunley, was a Captain in the Army, killed in Germany in '45. I've been to Uncle John's grave and hope to get to Iwo to pay respects to Uncle Boo soon. Semper Fi to All who served and still serve! Never Forget ... ^v^

Hi Jared. Very nicely done - you made us feel like we were there. RE: Iwo Jima Veterans I have a paperback book I bought in 1965 called "Iwo Jima" by Richard F. Newcomb. I believe I was in the 8th grade and had developed a large interest in WWII. In or around 1999-2006, I met a veteran of that battle. We were living in a nice subdivision north of Atlanta. As I walked daily through that area, I'd often see an older gentlement in his yard. His name was Ted Price. I was blessed to get to know he and his wie better over time. I had him sign the front of my book, which he wrote: "Capt. USMCR, 23rd Regiment, Engineers, "A" Company Cmdr. He landed on the first day, and while in a "huddle" with others on a beach, to discuss their first tasks, a shell (mortar or artillery) landed in the middle of them. He was the only survivor. He was brought to the hospital ship and eventually was put into a hospital in Long Island, NY where he received care for 1 year. His nurse, Peggy, eventually became his wife of many years. I forget how many children they had, but one son died of tragic circumstances while I knew him. He passed some years later, as his wife did following. While this may seem like a lot of detail about one survivor, it's those details that give us a better idea of what happened to those men, for which - this battle was a personal one. As a son of a WWII Army Air Force veteran (My Dad was a B-17 bomber crew member, tail gunner, out of England, over France and Germany.), and a veteran myself of the US Navy submarine service during the Cold War of the early 70s, I have a small understanding about sacrifice, however large or small. My experiences pale compared to what that awesome generation did for us. The more I've learned about this horrible battle and others, the more that understanding and appreciation grows. I look forward to more viewings of your channel. I appreciate what you are doing for us with your work, it keeps their memory alive... God Bless!

For me as surviving the Desert Shield campaign I would not be satisfied with only a movie, I would have to march it like you are here, and take in the soul of the place myself. There couldn't be a more awesome feeling and tribute to my Uncle Joe. Out of the three brothers only one remains He's in his Mid Eighties.

My dad served at Iwo Jima, so this video means a great deal to me. Thanks for making and sharing it, Jared!

I was in the Marine Corps from 1982 to 1990. I understand this battle. Also I was in all 4 divisions. I also helped the 5th Marine Division when they had their 58th reunion. They were part of the Marine division that went to Iwo Jima. Thank you SO much for this video. This is much appreciated.

My grandfather was in the Marine Corps on Iwo. He didn’t talk much about it, but was always proud of his service. I’d love to get a chance at walking those shores someday. Great video and keep up the awesome content

Thank you for the voice-overs & intermittent mapping . As a Marine myself ,this is great stuff !

My Uncle Sgt Johnny Manuelito of the 5th Marines Div. Was part of the Navajo Code talkers who took part in the assault. Thanks for the visual tour, because I would never be able to tour Jiwo.

its impossible for anyone who wasnt there to understand what it was like on iwo jima, I was told this by a man who was there and its a simple but such accurate statement. Even going there now you dont see or feel what they did, it was the worst Hell you can imagine. He said the artillery would kill men around you every few minutes, no matter where you were. Random sniper shots same thing, mines same thing. When you had to change positions, at least half the men next to you would be killed or wounded. He said it was the closest you can get to being deceased while still alive, because death was occuring all around you, all the time, you had no doubt you would be killed it was just try to get as far as you could and do the most you could before you were taken out. Its impossible to comprehend how that would affect you unless you were there.

Thank you for taking us along for this. My dad was a WW2 navy veteran. What you said about the WW2 generation is so true. Humility but strong.

As a member of FDNF assigned to the air wing I spent many of days on Iwo Jima for carries landing practice. I walked that island and explored the caves. I still wonder how did we take this island. Nothing but respect must be observed, this is a war grave site. We did have some restrictions as far what caves we could enter and what caves we couldn’t otherwise we went all over the island. It was also very interesting living in those barracks for a week straight. The galley made great food and obinetos.

Jared, I'm an Army Officer in my 25th year of service. Most recently I was assigned to teach Military History to Army ROTC students in San Diego. I loved every second of it. I have been fortunate enough to be able to visit many of the European battlefields. Thank you so much for creating this incredible footage of Iwo Jima. Truly an amazing watch. Always enjoy your videos. Do you have any tips for any service connected viewers who would like to also visit Iwo Jima. I would be honored to follow in your footsteps (literally). Best-Tom

37:10 Lewis is a throwback and a great treasure of the world and I would love to see one and listen to the stories he would say.

Karal A. Marling wrote a fantastic book on the island and the mythology around it; "Iwo Jima: Monuments, Memories, and the American Hero"- by Karal Ann Marling and John Wetenhall. I was stationed here at the Lorsta and never miss a chance to watch current videos of my old haunts.

It is amazing how a mysterious internal drive pushes to do difficult things like this. My uncle was part of the corpse removal duty after the battle. I once tried to get him to talk about it. No luck. His stories died with him. Thanks for taking us along.

I saw the actual film footage of the battle for Iwo while in Boot Camp on Parris Island. Words can't describe what I saw. Thanks for your tour of Iwo. Semper Fi!

27 medals of honor from one long battle. I congratulate you on humping that distance. Standing where giants once stood. What an honor

My dad was also a signalman. He was on the USS Flint, a light cruiser. His ship arrived off Iwo Jima on February 21, 1945 to provide anti-aircraft cover for the Marines who had landed two days prior, and stayed until March 12th.

My Uncle Pete Grange died during the battle. Thanks for this, i gave me a real feeling of the place.

My Dad was in the Army Air Corp and he sent to Iwo Jima in March 1945. He was an tech that serviced the aircraft. He survived the attack on the airbase, although he was wounded. He stayed on Iwo Jima till the end of the war. My Dad died at age 96 with his emotional scars and Japanese shrapnel still in his body.

I watched sands of Iwo Jima when I was a kid, that movie made me want to join the Marines I wanted to be part of the meanest fighting mechine in the world and I did when I was 18 in 1968 and I served in Vietnam..with the first marine division, to this day I’m still a Marine..until I die..Semper Fi

Grandpa was in a 50 caliber machine gun section of the 5th marines at Iwo. I have his old trunk with patches and old photos. I even found an old 5th marines unit magazine from 1944 with a section labeled “my outfit”. It was like a yearbook section where marines could sign each others pages. When I found this particular one on a military memorabilia website website, it had my grandfathers signature….in ink. Not a reproduction. Immediately bought it without hesitation lol. Absolutely RANDOM find.

going to the places where ww2 history took its place and take into consideration in a meditative-like approach how these people do it and bring their beings in those days will bring a deep and special feeling to those that did. that same interest too, made me do research and notes here in my place at the pacific where the japanese imperial army left its footprints and impressions to our people.

17:05 This view is really fascinating. With Suribachi in the background as a reference you can see the undulation of the terrain and get a feel for how compartmentalized the battlespace was. There must have been dozens of individual battles taking place that were separated from one another by the rolling terrain features. I would love to see a map of how the Marines used the terrain to set lateral boundaries.

My dad you fought at Guam, Iwo and Okinawa never spoke much of his service but I can vividly remember him shaking his head and laughing at Sands of Iwo Jima movie.

I was stationed @ Yokota Air Base Japan on C-130s in the USAF in the early 80s. We used to fly Navigator training missions to Iwo. Very surreal experience as I remember there were vehicles and equipment on the beach rusting away.

I have been a Gettysburg and a couple of other places battling took place in the east of our nation, and the feeling that you get watching and hiking on hallowed ground where hundreds and even thousands of soldiers are at rest there.

I am glad to see new WWII documentation posts. You did a great job. I also appreciate your reference to Breanne Robertson. I have found her Facebook page and have downloaded her free PDF book on the Iwo Jima flag raisers. I will be reading it next. Gee, I thought they had only missed identifying one flagraiser. They add two more? One in 2016 and the third in 2019. I am sure Breanne will tell the whole story for this correction to war history. In 2011 I discovered that my Strawberry Bay camp host was a twice-wounded Marine Corps vet of Saipan and Iwo Jima. What a great man and friend he was... Semper Fi Lafe Brown...

Did the Iwo tour in 2014 and got to meet James Oelke-Farley (and his daughter). Good move to give him a mic and get his narration on the way to Suribachi. He's one of the best. As you walk that road, remember you're passing through the path of every Marine who made it off the beaches. At 55, I'm proud to say I made it up Suribachi without stopping- looks like you had a very hot day. Well done!

I could imagine how you feel, walking around in a place like that. I had that feeling as I walked around the grounds of Gettysburg battle site!

My father was a combat engineer with the Fifth Marine Division on Iwo. I've read about this battle all of my life, but this is the first time I could understand the terrain. Thank you for this video. I've always wanted to see the island but will probably never have the chance. It's amazing to see it so green today. All the photos of the battle make it look like a moonscape.

Where's the shot of you raising the Reel History flag over Mount Suribachi?

So great you got to experience this. My grandfather, a retired Marine, fought in the Pacific on Guadalcanal and was a platoon sergeant on Iwo Jima. He was in the same company as John Basilone and while not friends with, they were friendly with each other. My grandfather was wounded on the 26th day of the battle. I was fortunate to attend two 5th Marine Division Iwo Jima reunions with my grandfather and meet a lot of these incredible men. I even met Chuck Tatum who knew my grandfather since they were in the same company. The second reunion I attended with him was in Baltimore and I was sitting at a table with my grandfather and several other veterans of Iwo and we hear in the distance someone shout -" sergeant Head! Sergeant Sam Head! (My grandfather) I got your ammo." A mam walks to our table and hands my grandfather some rifle bullets wrapped in tape. My grandfather laughs and stand up and hugs the man and they both are teary eyed. My grandfather tells the man, Damn, I thought you were killed." I then got the story. He was a corporal in the platoon my grandfather was platoon leader of and they were good friends. On the 3rd day of the battle when they were trying to take the airfield, my grandfather sent him back for more ammunition but he never came back. My grandfather assumed he was KIA. As the man was coming back with the ammo he had been wounded. This was the first reunion my grandfather and the man had been able to attend the same one and they had not seen nor heard from each other since that day in Iwo Jima. My grandfather passed away 13 years ago and being a retired Marine myself, I have all his Marine Corps memorabilia and have shrine in my "man cave" my wife allows me to have lol, of both our Marine memorabilia and under the case containing the US Flag from his burial I have those bullets still wrapped in the original tape.

Wow - thank you for bringing us along with this powerful video!

Without having the full understanding of how to get to Iwo Jima and my back and knee problems from time served. I am not sure if I can even make the climb. I thank you for documenting your trip there for everyone else to see.

I served on LST1032 in and around Viet Nam '66/'67... In the Iwo Jima episode of the well known 'Victory at Sea' series it shows my old ship sliding up onto the beach. I had the pleasure some 20+ years ago of visiting with an old officer who was onboard at the time and lived about 50 miles north of me. I was able to show him my extensive photo collection as all he had was a postage stamp sized picture... Seeing all this from level ground puts it into a whole new perspective...

OMG!! you are a total hero bro!! you deserve a medal AND a sticker!! thank you so much for letting us know this critical piece of information, my life will never be the same after this!

Such a poignant journey. Thank you for sharing it !

I read that they mixed Iwo Jima soil with the cement used at Grauman’s Chineses theatre to capture John Wayne’s hand prints. He had just done the movie Sands of Iwo Jima.

Nice video and little over the top. From a Republic of Vietnam drafted Army combat veteran '68. My cousin was the first Marine Corps woman general. She would visit our 1400 acre family farm to visit my grandmother. I couldn't believe a woman was wearing a Marine uniform. I'm no Marine fan. I'm truly jaded by our government bureaucracy and elected officials. After getting healed up from Vietnam and getting those fancy degrees, I worked in DC for 2 years. Our current Armed Services are populated by many sickos enabled by politicians.

Excellent portrayal! Never forget our marines. ❤

Three times on Iwo with the Navy air detachment for (FCLP) field carrier landing practice with carrier air group 5 (CAG-5) from Atsugi, Japan. Plenty of time to go caving, bush walking and a pedal of a loaner bicycle from the local MWR. The sulfur pits (Asodai crater) are of interest, the concrete liberty ship beached on the western point north of Saribachi is something to check out. The (UXO) unexpended ordnance hut is also something to take a look at.

Being a veteran of a Foreign War and my whole family having served, I can understand that saying of"Peace on Earth 🌎". Where you are eating shrapnel and bullets flying past your head you have and get a feeling of it when you're friends and comrades are Dying and getting wounded around you. When you have to carry your heavy pack, rifle and the end of a stretcher with a seriously wounded soldier moaning in pain did I finally say that it sunk in hard, very hard. Praying for protection as you listen to the noises all around you.

My father-in-law was in the 4th Marine Division on Iwo Jima. His brother was a Naval officer on a ship providing support. He said he was pleased to not be in the island and his brother was glad to be somewhere that didn't sink.

This was outstanding! Real, raw, honest, and moving. We have no doubt that it was impactful for you and those you encountered along the way. We’d love to have just one grain of that black sand, but we will satisfy ourselves with that intimate glimpse into a truly iconic moment in history. My husband - combat wounded army officer - deeply appreciated the reverence the Japanese held for the island as one massive gravesite. Of course, it is the resting place for both Japanese and Americans. I, as a military wife, daughter, and mother of an officer, was brought to tears when you revealed your grandfather’s dog tags. What an incredible honor that must have been for you to carry him up to the top of Suribachi, and what lovely tribute. Finally, giving the Japanese airman a challenge coin embodied the point of it all - that peace came from the great sacrifices made by young people in both sides. As to the concerns of viewers upset that the American flag is not still raised on the summit…please understand the ultimate goal of peacemaking. Tens of thousands of men lost their lives on that island for a cause greater than even a symbol of victory. These men fought and died to ensure the existence of the free world. Japan surrendered, accepted defeat, entered into an alliance with us that has stood firm ever since. We did not invade Iwo Jima as an empire-building move. Instead, we only took control of territory until peace could be reestablished. Was that not the motive behind the move? The cause behind the sacrifice? And, as soon as the ultimate objective was obtained, we turned our efforts to mending and forging a peace the would endure. You see, unlike the original Axis of Evil, the goal of the Allies was to restore freedom and sovereignty to the nations. Japan is a strong ally AND sovereign nation. We are an honorable nation and respect our allies. We raised the flag in battle, so we can now allow them to fly theirs in peace. We did not conquer them, rather, we overcame and made peace with them. Our memorial was there at the top. Our dead are honored and respected. Isn’t that what makes our nation so magnificent? My wounded warrior happens to think so.

My father was in the 4th Marine Division. One interesting tidbit he told us was that his company was at one of the airfields when the flag went up on Mount Surabachi. He said that while all the ships in the ocean were setting off their horns in celebration, the Japanese troops at the airfield were pissed off and immediately set forth on a banzai charge. So while everyone else was celebrating, they were fighting for their lives. My father lasted a couple of more weeks before he was wounded. Basically, he was a machine gunner, and a bullet caught him just inside the helmet. The bullet ringed around his head/helmet, and knocked him out cold. His buddies thought he was dead, but he showed signs of life, and they were able to get him back to a hospital ship. If interested, the historical society of Morton Grove Illinois did video interviews with many of the WW2 veterans in the town before they passed into history. There are some great personal stories there.

My neighbor growing up and our former long time town mayor was there a U.S. Marine. He's 94.

Great video that offers a rare glimpse of the rugged topography that the Marines faced in 1945. A couple of notes - 1) (Inset photo at 37:44) Nils Mockler, Marine#563708, was an 18 year old combat intelligence scout with the 4th Marine Division's Tank Battalion. Nils attended the 50th Reunion of Honor in 1995, which was attended by many, many survivors. A stark contrast to the seven in attendance in 2023, and a reminder that our WWII veterans will all soon be gone. 2) (Inset photo at 37:54) The Marine with Nils is Ambrose Anderson. Ambrose is a Montford Point Marine who proudly served in the 8th Ammunition Company on Iwo Jima. The photo by #JMFarronPhotography was taken at the 246th Marine Corps Birthday celebration in 2021. Ambrose and Nils had received their first Dress Blues, compliments of two generous benefactors.

Oh my lands!!! I have watched and enjoyed other of your reels but Iwo Jima was outstanding. I am a huge history buff, especially military. And due to my age I travel vicariously thru others. I have long been interested in Iwo and I now feel like I have been there thanks to you! Please keep up the good work!

My father, Sgt. Philip Romero, fought on Iwo Jima in the 5th Division. He was severely wounded on Feb. 27th, for which he received the Purple Heart, and for his bravery, the Silver Star. But it should be said that all the fighting men of the United States at that time on Iwo Jima should be recognized and honored, medal or no medal. Those were some of the toughest, bravest Marines to ever fight in battle. Semper fi!

I’ve always had a difficult time trying to visualize the scale of these various Pacific islands. This definitely helped with that. I hope I can visit some of these battlefield sites one day.

My grandfather landed the first day with the 5th Pioneers. Left after the final fight at the airfield. Passed away in 2002. Suffered from nightmares all the rest of his life. He never fully recovered from his weeks on that island, would not consider returning for the tour.

Outstanding video, my life was forever changed. When I walked Gettysburg, this video helps us to learn from our history, thank you very much.

Guam has construction like that and of course Andersen AFB does on Guam. It's typhoon proof (mostly). It's the power grid/poles that take the beating. The Marianas are beautiful islands. If you go to the Japanese Islands like Okinawa, Miyakojima, Ishigaki you see their infrastructure is typhoon proof too. They build it one time, right because they are right in the Typhoon Alley lane and get hit nearly every season.

Iwo, specifically Mt. Suribachi, is sacred among Marines. Our holy, site if you will. Like pilgrims going to the holy land...Marines aspire to trek there. I hope to make it one day. For those who may not know, Iwo is the only real battle in the Pacific where we had more casualties than Japan. To be sure, Japan had more dead (they didn't tend to surrender--I don't think the last soldier surrendered there until 1949?). But the casualties on both sides are inconceivable by post-WW2 standards. That is common among other island battles in the Pacific, especially Okinawa (double the casualties of Iwo), and also Tarawa and Peleliu (both absolute blood baths----the latter probably the toughest battle for USMC in its entire history). These landings were akin to suicide charges. Amphibious landings on a hardened beach is about as deadly as airborne troops jumping out of an airplane on top of the enemy. Complete exposure to a well-placed enemy and sighted weapons. Pure insanity. But it had to be done. This is also why the USMC has not made an amphibious landing against a hard target since landing at Okinawa (even though Japan let the beaches be taken easily, they had other tricks up their sleeve). And most likely never will again. The modern public would not countenance these type of losses.

Those movies? Im a generation or so closer too than you.Baby boomer here. Vietnam era veteran. Dad served in the US Army and was stationed in Guadalcanal 1943-44. I glad to see your interest and appreciation for this time. Sadly soon the last of my dad’s generation will leave us. My thanks for posting this. Well done. Very VERY GOOD. 👍👍🫡🇺🇸⚓️

elements of my BLT got to go ashore back in the 80s. we werent allowed to climb up suribachi for some reason but did explore some caves when no one was looking. we layed wreaths at the cemetary and brought back lots of sand and found trinkets off the beach

My grandfather fought at Iwo Jima as well. 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines. He died in 1978 when i was 5 so i never got to talk to him about it either.

Amazing video, absolutely enjoyed it. Was fortunate enough to make a couple visits to Iwo Jima in 2009 (not long after it was changed back to Iwo To). We were transporting JPAC teams onto & off of the island, part of their investigation into the potential recovery of SGT. William Genaust. During the first visit we only had a few hours but still made a (failed) attempt to get over to Mt. Suribachi. It wasn't well thought out, we were in flightsuits, flight boots, with a single bottle of water each. We made it through the quarry before running out of water & turning back... The 10" long red centipede also made us rethink the attempt, LOL. We had several hours during the second visit, and also secured permission from the JMSDF to use mountain bikes while exploring the island. The base commander actually met us to brief us on the ROE, emphasizing not to leave the trail (except for the beaches) and not to venture into any caves we came across. As a former Marine I made the Pilgrimage to approximately Yello & Red beaches, up to the summit of Mt. Suribachi & out to a blockhouse on the caldera's rim, and over the western sector & the breakwater ships. The one thing that really stands out in your video, the concrete ships were surrounded by water during my visit. Guess the island really has "risen" out of the sea by good measure. One thing regarding the Japanese losses, certainly not official but I did ask some of the JPAC team members whether or not Japan has similar teams recovering remains there on Iwo. They do, but their war dead are often very hard to locate and recover. When I asked how many Japanese were still MIA on Iwo, the team leader said "several thousand, probably a lot right under this runway that will never be repatriated." He also mentioned that Japanese remains are still being discovered (again, back in 2009). We made a couple VFR alt. circle island patterns post departure before heading back to mainland Japan. A memorable TDY for sure. Couple other things... We all ended up spreading out as we pushed the bikes up Suribachi's switchbacks. Like you, I had that same "being watched" feeling as the breeze died down and I took a break halfway up. Very eerie, almost unsettling. I've been to quite a few WW2 battlefields, this was the first time I've encountered that feeling. Also, no way I took any sand from Iwo, that place has way too many memories. I'm from Hawaii as well, probably a little too superstitious, or am I..? LOL

I can believe that it is crazy how much you are probably seeing as you march on.

My father was a career naval officer from 1935 to 1969 a retired naval captain. In 1967 my father was stationed on Guam. That Christmas I was going to college and flew to Guam for Christmas holiday on military aircraft. and my brother took me to a battlefield where Japanese and Americans tanks battled. It was called the tank traps. In this battlefield I saw where there were areas where there were shell casings from where a marine had stopped to fire. There were two tanks one Japanese one American and the Japanese had lost its track. out of curiosity I took one of the wheels and it turned with out any effort. I was shocked that after all this time it was still operable. In the red soil were shreds of metal everywhere. I wondered if this was from the shelling our cruisers and battleships.

EXCELLENT video. Thanks for bringing us this piece of history. Greetings from Mexico City.

My grandfather Warren Williams fought in WW2 I used to sit there and listen to Grandpa tell story's of the time he spent over there so e good some horrible but all in all it was just listening to Grandpa tell his storys

Love it! Just brilliant, sir. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Granted, the people making this trip up Mount Suribachi were much older than the young Marines at the time, but I can't even begin to imagine their arduous time with wearing full fighting gear, adrenaline running and constantly being under fire. My father (Bless his soul) served in WW2 and lost both his eyes from shrapnel in St. Lo France after the D-Day invasion. Bless them all.