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Iwo Jima: World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific

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Author Larry Smith says it himself in his introduction: "This book does not presume to offer a definitive account of what has been called the thirty-six days in hell of Iwo Jima . . . Rather, it is a series of snapshots offering a glimpse into the lives of twenty-two men who took part in various aspects rof the conflict and how they have faired since."

It is a remarkable and remarkably well done effort.

Smith groups the twenty-two stories into seven topical sections, each dealing with a specific aspect of the battle, except for two which deal with the aftermath and the use of Iwo Jima as a base for fighters and emergency landing field for B-29s flying back from bombing Japan.

Smith is both an excellent interviewer and writer. He truly does let each of the veterans speak for themselves and tell their stories. What is a bit unique in Smith's approach is that he lets the veterans tell of their experiences on Iwo Jima and their lives since then.

It is sad in a way to see the contrasting photographs for most of these men as they appeared when young and in their warrior prime and now when they are in their eighties and nineties.

It is good that Smith reached these men before they passed taking their stories with them. It was a different America back then, an America when young men were willing to give their lives in the name of freedom. Smith doesn't ask these veterans for their opinion of today's American society.

Several of the men received major awards for valor. Almost all received the Purple Heart, the medal signifying that the holder was wounded in combat.

From the pre-invasion jitters to the post-conflict burying of the dead by the graves registration unit, Smith and the veterans recall the battle. Pilots who flew after Iwo Jima was won tell their stories as well.

All in all, a unique and well done collection of personal histories and well worth reading.

Jerry

remember, with advantage, what feats he did that day."

Shakespeare was prescient with respect to 22 men who participated in this great battle, at least if they have an superb reporter like Larry Smith to listen to their stories and record their memories. Smith interviewed 22 men who were teenagers during that battle, "all in their eighties now." Somehow these 22 men -- and Smith -- make their memories fresh and true.

The book is divided into seven sections, each section focusing on from two to five participants. Throughout, Smith emphasizes four main themes: "the landing, the raising of the flags on Suribachie; the at times seemingly hopeless attempt to conquer the rest of the island; and the arrival of the B-29s, which had been one of the two major objectives of the invasion."

In the end though, Smith focuses on the stories of the 22 heroes of his book: "it is a series of snapshots offering a glimpse into the lives of twenty-two men who took part in various aspects of the conflict and how they have fared since. Their stories speak for themselves."

The words speak. The photos from 1945 speak. The recent photos speak.

Read and look. You won't be able to forget the "feats they did that day."

Robert C. Ross 2008

We are fortunate that Latty Smith took the time to search out and find these unsung heros, before they pass on forever, taking their memories with them. He packages the thoughts into 24 chapters, one chapter per individual. Not many photos in the book, the words expressed by the men in the stories paint the picture in your mind. In the end, Col. John Ripley ponders the question asked by the modern world, if the tiny piece of land had been worth the fight. Over and over he states that yes, yes it was worth the fight. And we must not let the world forget why we fought and why we sacrificed so much. Words that must not be extinguished.

IWO JIMA: WORLD WAR II VETERANS REMEMBER THE GREATEST BATTLE OF THE PACIFIC comes from a reporter who interviews nearly two dozen veterans of one of the finest battles of American history. The added discussion of their lives before and after the war adds depth and dimension to battle experience in this key pick for any military collection.

Iwo Jima by Larry Smith is a book containing stories of veterans from World War 2, who fought at the battle of Iwo Jima. The men who fought at the battle of Iwo Jima give accounts of what it was like running up the shore under heavy fire trying to reach there destination, with bodies strewn everywhere. Men fought and died for are country trying to take Iwo. Iwo Jima is known for the famous picture of the American flag, which was raised on Mount Surabatchi. We will always remember the men who fought at Iwo Jima. This book was a great reminder of how men and woman fought and died so that we can live in the America we know today.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to be with the tour that went to Iwo Jima on the 60th anniversary of the battle. We had three planeloads of people that flew from Guam. Included were some veterans who fought there, families of veterans and other intersted parties. What happened during the few hours we were there deeply ingrained in me the sacrifices that were made on that island.

Going through the book, a lot of the places that we went to made more sense and gained more significance. The interviews Mr. Smith conducted and the additional insights he made gives readers a fantastic view of just what the soldiers and participants of that struggle had to go through. As I read through the chapters on how the fighting proceeded through the island, my mind wandered back to that day I had also walked in those places.

The description of the volcanic sand that the Marines had to wade through on the invasion beaches were as soft and difficult to walk through as advertised. I tried running from the waterline to about 25 yards inwards and found that it was no mean feat to advance that little. My foot sunk to about midcalf and it was just an effort. Further up on the beach, there were still gun emplacements were Japanese gunners could easily cut down people landing. Reading the book made it more fearsome to imagine what it was like just coming up.

Standing on top of Suribachi, I could see what Chuck Lindberg could have seen when raising the flag the first time. From there, I could also see what Kuribayashi's troops were seeing while the Americans were coming to shore. The mountain offered the perfect vantage point for gunners to start mowing down the invaders.

Just standing there and looking at the landing beach makes one wonder how they did it. Reading this book told me how.

I would recommend this book highly not only for those who are into World War II but also as a testament to what the human sprit can achieve.

I love this book. It's like sitting down in front of you grandfather and listening to his old war stories. Once I start reading it's very hard for me to put down. One of the things I find fascinating is the mind of these old warriors. Many of them extremely patriotic. It seems almost all of them enlisted into the Marines immediately after turning 18, one of them enlisted at 16 and somehow escaped notice. The way they thought of life was different. If you got it (died), you got it. Many of these soldiers were from the 24th Marines Division and many of them knew each other.

The stories here are memorable, from one soldier who accidentally shot a hole in the American flag because he thought it was a Japanese (the hole is still there btw - in the second stripe, it's on display), to the group of soliders who traded a weapons carrier in exchange for a pallet of beer (all under the noses of their superiors), this is a wild ride that is both entertaining and enriching.