February 18, 1945, marked the opening phase of one of the most brutal and iconic battles of World War II: the Battle of Iwo Jima. Though the main amphibious landings would occur the following day, February 19, this date represents the final preparations and bombardments that launched a struggle defined by extraordinary sacrifice, fierce resistance, and lasting historical significance.

Iwo Jima is a small volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway between the Mariana Islands and mainland Japan. Despite its size—just eight square miles—it held immense strategic value. For the United States, capturing Iwo Jima would provide a critical base for fighter escorts protecting B-29 bombers on missions over Japan and offer an emergency landing strip for damaged aircraft returning from bombing runs. For Japan, the island was a vital defensive outpost and early-warning station against American attacks.

In the days leading up to the invasion, including February 18, U.S. naval and air forces unleashed one of the most intense bombardments of the Pacific War. Battleships, cruisers, and aircraft pounded the island in an attempt to weaken Japanese defenses. Yet the bombardment had limited effect. Unknown to many American planners, the Japanese commander, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had constructed an elaborate system of underground bunkers, tunnels, and fortified positions deep beneath the island’s rocky surface.

Unlike earlier Pacific battles, Kuribayashi rejected the tactic of defending the beaches. Instead, he prepared to fight a war of attrition, forcing American forces into a slow, deadly advance inland. His strategy aimed to inflict maximum casualties, hoping to make any future invasion of Japan itself appear too costly to attempt.

When U.S. Marines of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions began landing on February 19, they encountered deceptively light resistance at first. That calm quickly vanished as Japanese forces emerged from concealed positions, unleashing devastating fire. The black volcanic sand made movement exhausting and offered little cover, turning every step forward into a perilous ordeal.

Over the next five weeks, the battle became a relentless grind. Marines fought yard by yard through tunnels, caves, and fortified ridges, including the heavily defended Mount Suribachi, which loomed over the southern end of the island. On February 23, the raising of the American flag atop Suribachi was captured in an iconic photograph, becoming one of the most enduring images of the war. Yet the battle was far from over.

By the time Iwo Jima was officially secured on March 26, 1945, the cost was staggering. Nearly 7,000 Americans were killed, and more than 20,000 were wounded. Of the approximately 21,000 Japanese defenders, almost all were killed, with only a few hundred captured alive. It was one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. Marine Corps history.

February 18, 1945, marks the beginning of that harrowing chapter—a reminder of the immense human cost behind strategic victories. The Battle of Iwo Jima stands today as a symbol of courage, endurance, and sacrifice, underscoring the brutal realities of war and the heavy price paid for freedom.

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