In 1945, it was the site of one of the war’s bloodiest battles, where nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines and over 20,000 Japanese died on eight square miles of rock.

The Japanese commander, Kuribayashi.

Turned the island into a fortress.

Of underground tunnels and hidden guns–Making the Americans pay for every inch.

Today, the island is quiet, it is not a tourist spot.

It is a Japanese military base, home to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Access is restricted.

Rusting artillery, collapsed bunkers, and sealed caves are still there, hidden in the overgrowth. The land is still a tomb, a memorial run by soldiers–The volcano is still active, slowly pushing the island higher out of the sea.

I was just there three months ago. The Japanese Navy has a pretty significant base and an airport out there. They routinely have flights in and out and the living conditions aren’t too bad. The US Marines and Navy from Japan regularly flight out there to study the battle, it’s customary for Marines to “re-enlist” on top of mount Suribachi. It’s a pretty long walk, about 3–4 hours from the flight line to the top.

The government of Japan is doing a lot of excavation out there, mainly trying to recover remains, which are collected, and then returned once a year to a special cemetery in Tokyo (I forgot the name).

As for the island itself, it has a lot more greenery than during the battle. It’s a beautiful ocean, but I was warned by the XO of the base not to go in because of sharks. The Japanese have a pool, gymnasium, even a little 9-hole golf course (you can actually rent clubs there)!

I’m married to a (distant) cousin of LtGen Kuribayashi (4th or 5th cousin) and when I visited I brought the Navy Commander a bottle of Jack Daniels and told him my background. He took me on a tour of some of the sites:

This is the entrance to LtGen Kuribayashi’s HQ

LtGen Kuribayashi’s office

Where they store any remains that are found, they are returned to Tokyo each year on 11 Feb, the anniversary of the battle

On top of Mount Suribachi

The beach where the Marines landed, Suribachi is in the distance. My Great Uncle landed on the beach in 1945, and fought the Imperial Japanese Soldiers commanded by my wife’s distant cousin…overall, it’s a really beautiful place.