By Thomas W. Butler
Iwo Jima is a volcanic island and, as such, is subject to all sorts of naturally induced seismic events. However, on one occasion during the summer of 1945 our part of the island experienced a ground shaking event which turned out to be purely man-made.
Continue reading “Earthshaking Events at Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC) Iwo Jima”
By Thomas W. Butler
By the summer of 1945, even before Okinawa had been taken, all of us at Fleet Radio Unit Pacific, FRUPAC – Iwo Jima were beginning to hope the end of the war might not be too far off. Logically, it had to be over soon…but no one knew whether logic was going to outweigh emotion. It was obvious to us the Japanese were in a “no win” position and were taking a terrible pounding. However, we also knew we were then standing on a barren, unattractive piece of real estate only four and one half miles long by two miles wide which approximately 25,000 Japanese military men had died to retain as part of their empire! How many of their countrymen would be equally willing to fight and die to defend the home islands of Japan? Hundreds of thousands? A million? Uncomfortable thoughts, I assure you.
Continue reading “B29 Ditchings at Iwo Jima”
By Thomas W. Butler
What we in the USA refer to as a hurricane is known as a typhoon in the far east. In the Volcano Islands (Kazan Retto), of which Iwo Jima is a part. October is the month of the most frequent occurrence of these major storms. 1945 was an exception.
Continue reading “Tropical Storm on Iwo Jima”
By Bud Beck
It all began at Wahiawa in the later part of 1944 when section 3 reported to op 4 for the eve watch. The memorandum on the bulletin board glared “Volunteers needed for Island ‘X’ – sign up below” The memo was originated by CRE Schmelzer, The Pacific HF/DF Net Control Officer. It was common knowledge that Iwo Jima was the designated Island “X.” Missing at that time was a better understanding of the word “Volunteer.” CRE Schmelzer was to be OIC of Station X, but was later replaced by LTJG William Bobek. Iwo Jima was designated Station “AN.” When the USN station number system was initiated, the station designator was changed to USN 505. The list filled up fast and sixteen volunteers and the OIC were selected. They included:
Continue reading “U. S. Naval Supplementary Radio Station – Iwo Jima, 1945”
With a separate officer community now responsible for cyber warfare, the cryptologic warfare community must refocus officer develpment on signals intelligence and electronic warfare.
By Lieutenant Commander Enrique Galvez, U.S. Navy
January 2026 | Proceedings | Vol. 152/1/1,475
Cryptology plays a critical role in modern warfare. Conflicts in the Red Sea and Ukraine have reaffirmed that understanding and controlling what is in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum can be the difference between life and death. Paradoxically, this technology-heavy domain requires human experts more than ever. As technology advances at breakneck speed, the Navy requires distributed, tactical-level expertise to dynamically innovate, execute, and fight.
Continue reading “The Next Fight Demands Naval Cryptologic Expertise”
The capture of Iwo Jima was a turning point in the Pacific theater, not only for its brutal combat but for its immense strategic value. Securing the island allowed U.S. forces to construct vital airstrips that immediately supported the war effort. The newly built runways enabled crippled B-29 Superfortresses returning from bombing missions over Japan to land safely, saving thousands of aircrew lives. The island also served as an essential forward base for Army Air Forces fighters—P-51 Mustangs and P-47 Thunderbolts—which could now escort B-29s deeper into Japanese territory, dramatically increasing mission success and reducing bomber losses.
Continue reading “Iwo Jima Series”
Station HYPO 