On 02.19.1945 at 0905 hrs, the first of 30,000 US Marines land on Iwo Jima.
Battle for Iwo Jima Photo Gallery
Audio Clip: Arthur Prim Reports the First Strikes on Iwo Jima
Amphibious Tractors landing on Iwo Jima Feb 1945
Iwo Jima, which means Sulfur Island, was strategically important as an air base for fighter escorts supporting long-range bombing missions against mainland Japan. Because of the distance between mainland Japan and U.S. bases in the Mariana Islands, the capture of Iwo Jima would provide an emergency landing strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs. The seizure of Iwo would allow for sea and air blockades, the ability to conduct intensive air bombardment and to destroy the enemy’s air and naval capabilities.
Photo & Text source: http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/battleiwojima.htm
