What Became of Iwo Jima After WW II?

At 9:00 AM on February 19, 1945, one of the most infamous battles of the Second World War commenced. In an invasion termed Operation Detachment, Marines landed on beaches of volcanic rocks and ash, greeted by the fire of Japanese artillery. Over the next few days, American soldiers advanced toward the summit of Mount Suribachi, finally securing it on February 23. Though the iconic flag-raising on Suribachi’s summit symbolizes the triumph of American troops at Iwo Jima and in the Pacific War in general, fighting raged on for about another month. It was not until March 26 that hostilities on the island ceased. The battle was one of the bloodiest of the Pacific War; some 18,500 Japanese and 6,800 Americans lost their lives, with another 19,200 Americans wounded.