Uncommon Valor

Time Line---- 19 Feb 1945--- Under the over all command of Lt. General H.M. Smith's Expeditionary Troops headquarters, VAC's 4th and 5th Marine Divisions Lead the amphibious assult on the southeast coast of Iwo Jima. The 28th Marines reaches the western shore and seals off Mt. Surabaxhi before the end of the day,while the 27th and the 23rd Marines make it to the edge of Airfield #1. Heavy Japenese artillery,morter fire,rocket fire aided by mines and machine guns inflict over 2,400 casualties.
20 Feb. 1945--The 28th Marines begin the assault on Mt. Surabachi. The 4th Marine and the remains of the 5th Marines capture airfield #1
21 Feb 1945-- VAC commits the 21 st Marines of the 3rd Marine Division from corps reserve to reinforce the 4th Marine Division. That night the Japenese launch the one and only kamikaze attack of the campaign on the fleet off the bloody shores of Iwo Jima.
23 Feb 1945-- Elements of the 28th Marine division seize the crest of Mt. Surabachi and hoist a American Flag over its heights. Soon After five Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman replace it with a larger ensign. Joe Rosenthalls photo of this flag raising electrifies the United States and becomes the symbol for the 7th War Bond drive.
24 Feb 1945-- The rest of the3rd Marine Division (less the 21st Marines that are already there) deploy.
27 Feb 1945-- The 9th Marines complete the siezure of Airfield #2 and also takes Hill Peter and Hill199 Oboe key terain overlooking Airfield #2
4 March 1945-- Although Marine gains have been measured in yards on Iwo Jima, at this point in the battle VAC has blasted and bled its way through most of the Japenese defensive lines. The first B29 damaged on a strike on Japan lands on Iwo Jima.
11 March 1945-- The 3rd and 4th Marine Divisions drive to the coast in their respective zones leaving on a few pockets of resistance remaining on the island.
14 March 1945-- As the official flag raising is held at the VAC command post ,the flag raised on Mt Suribachi is lowered.
25 March 1945--The 5th Marine Division wipes out the last resistance in Death Valley. This marks the end of of organized Japenese control on any terrain on Iwo Jima.
27 March 1945-- The 3rd and 5th Marine Divisions begin departing the island. Total Marine casualities during the battle are 5,931 dead and 17,272 wounded. Losses among attached Navy personel are 209 dead and 641 wounded.

And so the bloodiest battle of the pacific theater ends Nearly six weeks of unmittigated Hell. There is a lot more to the story than the raising of the flag. That is what the public sees and that is what they remember. To those that were there it was just one more example of America`s Uncommon Valor. At least that is the way I see it here at Arathorns Alley