Iwo Jima
A battle that will live forever in American history, and in US Marine Corps history, began 61 years ago today. The battle for Iwo Jima.
An island almost devoid of cover, a dug-in and entrenched enemy who had prepared a defense in-depth.
It was destined to be a bloody battle, and it was. The US suffered over 6,800 killed, over 19,000 wounded.
The combat was up close and personal. Destroying caves, digging the Japanese out of their holes with flamethrowers and demo chargers, deadly fire from Mt. Suribachi, snipers, mines.
But our fighting forces got the job done. The island was a strategic location, it would serve has a base for B-29 bombers. It had to be taken, and once again America was blessed to be served by individuals full of courage and grit.
I wonder what the clods of dung that pass for the student senate at the University of Washington would think of the service performed by those who were at Iwo Jima.
Here is an informative timeline of the battle, and the Department of Defense has a multimedia presentation worth looking at.
It is a dangerous thing to forget what others have done in the past to give us what we had today. Remember this battle, so many others like it, and what our military is doing today. If we forget what was necessary to preserve freedom in the past, we are less likely to do what is necessary to preserve freedom in the future.
War is a terrible thing. Mankind at his worst. A time of terror, pain, death, destruction. Nobody wants war. Nobody is "pro-war." But evil is always relentless, always hungry, and our enemies are not moved by mumbled chants and weepy songs of peace sung over melting candles.
Throughout our history, we have been blessed by those willing to leave farm, home, jobs, family, and march into the teeth of dangerous enemies such as those who were dug in on Iwo Jima.
Thank you, God, for our freedom, and those who bought it for us.
An island almost devoid of cover, a dug-in and entrenched enemy who had prepared a defense in-depth.
It was destined to be a bloody battle, and it was. The US suffered over 6,800 killed, over 19,000 wounded.
The combat was up close and personal. Destroying caves, digging the Japanese out of their holes with flamethrowers and demo chargers, deadly fire from Mt. Suribachi, snipers, mines.
But our fighting forces got the job done. The island was a strategic location, it would serve has a base for B-29 bombers. It had to be taken, and once again America was blessed to be served by individuals full of courage and grit.
I wonder what the clods of dung that pass for the student senate at the University of Washington would think of the service performed by those who were at Iwo Jima.
Here is an informative timeline of the battle, and the Department of Defense has a multimedia presentation worth looking at.
It is a dangerous thing to forget what others have done in the past to give us what we had today. Remember this battle, so many others like it, and what our military is doing today. If we forget what was necessary to preserve freedom in the past, we are less likely to do what is necessary to preserve freedom in the future.
War is a terrible thing. Mankind at his worst. A time of terror, pain, death, destruction. Nobody wants war. Nobody is "pro-war." But evil is always relentless, always hungry, and our enemies are not moved by mumbled chants and weepy songs of peace sung over melting candles.
Throughout our history, we have been blessed by those willing to leave farm, home, jobs, family, and march into the teeth of dangerous enemies such as those who were dug in on Iwo Jima.
Thank you, God, for our freedom, and those who bought it for us.
4 Comments:
At Mon Feb 20, 07:05:00 AM, Anonymous said…
Thanks for the reminder of how much we owe to those who fought for our freedom. I can't help but wonder if those wieners at UW have any historical context to evaluate their thinking at all. Methinks they are sheep with no understanding of the value of sheepdogs at all. Maybe they will understand once the wolves show up, but then it will be too late. I think President Regan said it best: "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again."
On a more individual level, I have always thought that it is much easier for someone who has been given something to take it for granted, and less likely that someone who has earned it would do the same. I would be willing to bet that not a single one of those folks have contributed one iota towards "earning" their freedom, and their disrespect for those who have is reprehensible.
At Mon Feb 20, 10:48:00 AM, C-Low said…
“For those who confuse moral relativism for wisdom, who travel to foreign lands to undermine this campaign against terror, who compare American troops to our enemies, Franklin Roosevelt answers with a sharp reply: "As a nation, we may take pride in the fact that we are softhearted; but we cannot afford to be soft-headed...The best way of dealing with the few slackers or trouble makers in our midst is, first, to shame them by patriotic example."”
I pulled this quote from the Officers Club blog great site. http://officersclub.blogspot.com/
It clearly shows how such people as the “student council” should be treated. Unfortunatley our current leadership is just either too nice or weak to “question their patriotism” the result being that everyday it grows in strength and more and more insane. Shame is a powerfull tool and in some cases the better choice than debate. Debate with a retarded ignorance only dillutes your own standing while gaining nothing.
At Mon Feb 20, 12:15:00 PM, Leo Pusateri said…
Wonderful post, Jeff...
The absolute bravery of those who selflessly protect our freedoms is difficult to fathom, even by those who support their cause.
We will forever be in their debt.
At Mon Feb 20, 01:34:00 PM, Jeff said…
Excellent comments, Anon and C-Low.
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