The Battle of Iwo Jima, fought between February 19 and March 26, 1945, stands as one of the most intense and iconic confrontations of World War II. Located approximately 750 miles south of Tokyo, Iwo Jima was a small, volcanic island strategically important to both the United States and Japan. For the U.S., capturing the island meant securing a vital forward base for air operations in the Pacific, while for Japan, it represented a key defensive outpost guarding the home islands. The ensuing battle would become one of the bloodiest and most fiercely contested of the entire war.

Pictured are Marines and Navy Seabees attending Easter services atop Mount Suribachi on blood-stained Iwo Jima, while fellow Marines and Soldiers were assaulting Okinawa a few hundred miles away.