Battle for Iwo Jima

[Harry]

Interested in a collaboration with someone in Japan for a project on Iwo Jima. Want to present the story from both a Japanese and American perspective. Would rather focus on the human aspect rather than a recount of the battle. I had a cousin serving in the Marines who was killed on Iwo. I have done some research on his life and service, and am looking for someone who can help with the Japanese side of the story...would like to cover the persons life, boot camp, military service, etc. If enough info is available, would consider a book. If you are interested, or know someone who may be, please let me know. I can be reached via email at:

[email protected]

Thanks!

Harry

 

[miyuki]

Hi,
I know a little about Iwo Jima.
*The Battle at Iwo Jima began on Feburuary 16,1945.
*It is said that 28,686 of Americans and 20,129 of Japaneses were dead there.
*The shape of Iwo jima was changed by cannon shots or fire.

"The Association of Iwo Jima" is gathering informations about the battle and they are searching for remains.
On their Japanese site,they wrote about the battle.
If you need to know more information about the battle,I will try to translate their site in English.

URL http://www.iwo-jima.org/english/index.html

 

[shiroma]

硫黄島

Japan Changes Official Name of Iwo Jima to "Iwo To"

The institute was asked to change the name of the island back to Iwo To, the original name given to the island by its inhabitants, by the Ogasawara Municipal Government.

Then, an Associated Press article "Japan Changes Name of Iwo Jima" reports,

In the U.S., Maj. Gen. Fred Haynes, who was a 24-year-old captain in the regiment that raised the flag on Mount Suribachi, was surprised and upset by the news.

"Frankly, I don't like it. That name is so much a part of our tradition, our legacy," said Haynes.

Haynes, 85, heads the Combat Veterans of Iwo Jima, a group of about 600 veterans that travels back to the island every year for a reunion. He is currently working on a book about the battle called "We Walk by Faith: The Story of Combat Team 28 and the Battle of Iwo Jima." He doesn't plan to change the name.

Whatever issues that marine veteran has, people would feel it ludicrous to be upset about name changed to pre-war old one because the rest of the world including Japan (except some in the village) does not care anyway.

The old man does not seem to know that the "official" name was "Iwo To" between 1968 and 1982 either.
Rather strange is that Americans have not called it "Iwo Island."

It will remain as a trivia "what is the real name of Iwo Jima" which no Japanese could answer.
Actually, a part of the reasons for the name change was that there exists another "Iwo Jima" in Kyushu too, so they wanted to avoid confusion.

No Japanese gets infuriated when foreigners call Fujisan "Fujiyama," Japan has never asked the world to call her "Nippon." The same goes to the island too.

People who insist that it is one of the signs that Japan is trying to rewrite the history to get back to a militalist nation should immediately see a psychiatrist.

Unlike "proud" people in a certain country, Japanese do not demand the world to call local places in their way.


Geographical Survey Institute announcement
village announcement