Interesting iwo jima facts

[imarangemaster]

Since my dad carried an M1 Carbine on Iwo Jima and I have talked about him here, I thought this the best place to put out some interesting facts about Iwo Jima that I found out going through my dad's papers and stuff from Iwo.

Everyone knows the Marine involvement in Iwo Jima: Landed on February 19th, 1945. Bloodiest realestate per square foot in the PTO some say: 18,982 casualties: 3,844 Marines, Navy, and Army* (*Army personnel operated amphibious DUKW trucks for the Marines and suffered terrible losses) Killed, 14,135 wounded, 427 missing. 23,500 Japanese Killed and 156 taken prisoner. Marines turned over the island to the Army Garrison Force and the 147th Infantry Regiment on March 26th.

Generally unknown: On 26 February, the assault echelon of the 147th Infantry Regiment and HHC of AGF (my Dad, SSG Edmund Molloy with Inland M1 Carbine in hand included) landed to establish Army command and prepare for transition. The exact number of Army casualties between this landing and assumption of the island on March 26th is not recorded, though my dad lost at least one friend to Japanese artillery during this period. While not as heavy as the Marines, the Army suffered terrible casualties. Between March 26th, 1945 and the end of July, 1945 the Army's 147th and AGF Hq suffered 2,509 casualties: 819 killed and 1,690 more were wounded in five months of clearing the island. They killed an additional 3,500 Japanese, and finally captured 1,138 more, many wounded.

Not to take away from the thunder of the Corp (my cousins and uncles were Marines), but the role of the Army in the PTO, and the price they paid was very high. Philippines, Corregador, Bataan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Burma, Wake, and Midway.

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