Iwo Jima in the Modern Day

Iwo Jima in the Modern Day. I had the incredible privilege of going back out Iwo Jima a little before the 74th Anniversary. My intent this year was to get as many sites as I could. Since this island is extremely difficult to get to I wanted to show as much as I could for those who will never have the chance. My apologies for the video quality. Every time I watch it again, I always find things I want to change or fix.

Every time I have gone to Iwo Jima and this time was no exception, I always found something new. I hope you enjoy the tour of the island. Thanks to Bernall, Duane and Anthony for taking their time to run the cameras and following me around the island. Without their assistance, I would not have the great shots that I do.

Thanks to all the subscribers and viewers. I appreciate everyone of you that take the time to watch and sub. So thank you very much.

If you like the video, then let me know and if you didn't like it then let me know what you didn't like. Youtube is always a learning to place for us non-professionals.

The clip of the flag raising is from the movie Shore of Iwo Jima.
#japantreasurehunters #iwojimainthemodernday #iwojima

[jonmajarucon]

Thanks Jonathan.  I was raised with an old Marine who fought on Iwo Jima.  He was a tough man and his son was my best friend.  Most people in our neighborhood were scared of him. He  was so gruff  and looked like a ROCK.  For me (and about a dozen of us ) we knew differently.  We were probably around 5 years old when we first met him.  He was so gentle with us.   We KNEW he dearly loved us and would do anything for us:  he was extremely protective.  The only time he spoke of Iwo Jima was the description of how a beloved Sgt died in front of him.  He wept in front of us kids.  we were so small but we loved this old Marine.  I never knew the horrors of Iwo Jima.  You have made it  possible  for me to see where "Doug"  was some 74 years he was only 19.   I am 61 and I miss this old war horse.    He was buried with full military honors in California.  I miss him but give thanks to God for men like him who taught us integrity, character and love even though he faced and survived indescribable  violence.   Semper Fi    Jon

[MrAlsfan]

What these men went through took courage beyond my comprehension. All I can say is thank you.

[jrivers]

My wife's great grandfather earned the Navy Cross on Iwo Jima as a Colonel. He retired as a Brigadier General. Not just for officer stuff, but for real Marine heroism. His citation can be Googled by searching BGen John R. Lanigan. He was truly a ground pounding Marine badass.

[michaelw.]

My great uncle was killed by a Japanese bayonet somewhere on that island, he was only 18 years old. It's hard to imagine what a hellish place it was compared to the beautiful place it is now; thanks for sharing.

[RLRohrer]

Thank you! Really appreciated seeing this. Never got to this Island, but Marines before and after my tour with 3/3/3 on Okinawa, did have training exercises there. What I do have, thanks to a Marine friend is a small jar of the black sand from the beaches. It is very granular compared to the volcanic powder that blew out of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State. My District Manager at the time lived in Spokane and gave several us a small jar of it from what he had to shovel off his driveway! There is no comparison between the hard granular Iwo sand and the Mount Saint Helens dust!

[derrickshaw]

I was a young AW3 21yo Naval Aircrewman flying in the SH60B helicopter back in 1990. We were on our way back to San Diego from doing patrols in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield on board the USS Obrien (DDG 975). I had the honour of flying around the island at 50 feet and 120 knots and landing on top of MT. Surabachi. I had to lean out the cabin door in my gunners belt to help the pilots clear the tail rotor from trees and bushes on approach. It was surreal to say the least. We were able to walk around for a few minutes and take in the view. I still have a rock from the US memorial. There was fresh fruit and cigarettes laid out at the Japanese memorial and lots of steam coming up from the back side of the mountain from the volcano. When we took off, the Japanese airport control tower came up on the radio to ask what we were doing and if we needed help. We replied we were fine and we would be departing the area and be returning to our ship which was about 50nm away. All seemed ok at the time. Later we found out that we created an international incident. The Japanese government contacted Pacfleet and wanted to know why we were on their territory. Myself, the other crewman AW1 David Hackney and co-pilot (cant remember his name)had to give statements and go in front of a review board. The aircraft commander LT. Clifford Muzzio was grounded and eventually passed for promotion and made to leave the Navy. The Japanese were out for blood and it was definetly politicly driven. The sad thing is, LT Muzzio was a former Marine CH-46 pilot that transfered over to the Navy Seahawk program. It was a very profound moment for him to stand there where they rose that flag being a former Marine. All those brave Marines and Sailors that lost their lives to take that island and we give it back to them makes me sick. To the victors goes the spoils I say! Proud to have served, FLY NAVY!

[batman]

Having been there twice, once being the 50th Reunion tour, the island is truly awe inspiring. My uncle served in the Marines D Company 28th Regiment 5th MarDiv - - KIA 1 March 1945. I walked the hill 362 where he was killed. Hard to describe the feelings. It is nice to see others appreciate the efforts and trials of the men from both nations who fought and died on this waterless spec of volcanic ash

[herrakaarme]

It's strange how much effort, resources, and lives mankind invested in the war. Like how that tiny, remote island in the middle of nowhere was so important only because it played a role in the war. Such an island would be meaningless if not for the war, yet it hosted the great battle seeing thousands to their deaths. You'd think the countless dead, when they stared up at the stars, lying where they fell, would have rather been back home with their families, not fighting for a piece of rock, no matter how strategically significant.

[borod]

Thank you for sharing this. My Grandpa fought there . He talked about when they raised the the American Flag during the battle. He said us can hear cheers and the Ships were blowing there horns and ringing ship bells. He was shot 3 different times while he was there.

[HP_line_cook]

I remember when I was in 7th grade I had a computer teacher and his name was Mr. Neil. Idk how we touched on the subject of WW 2 but we did and he was telling me stories of his Grandpa that was fighting on the Pacific.

Then he said that he was ganna bring something from his house that was his family's treasure. And it was an original picture with signitures of the soilders who were raising the flag. His grandpa was one of those soilders raising that very flag.

I still remember very vivdly how he handed the picture to me and I was just in a state of "awe" because i was holding a relic from the past, and not just that but a piece of American history on the palm of my hands.

I'm currently 21 years old and to this day that will forever be in my mind.

[warrenchambers]

Seeing this island as it is today in amazing. The shot you took from atop Mount Suribachi  lets one whose never been there realize just how small Iwo Jima really is. And when it dons on you  it took 4 days to get up there...…….. truly a sobering realization. Brings tears to the eyes,  God Bless'em all each and everyone.

[MrAlsfan]

I can't even imagine the courage of those men. Thank you.

[peterweissmann]

The sad thing is that it's so beautiful. God bless you yanks! From Australia

[ouel]

Great video, thanks. I've been to Iwo Jima three times and each time it was so surreal. God bless those on both sides who died for their country in 1945.

[donbrashsux]

This is very moving..the epitome of bravery for any soldier that was on this island..only to think after this horrendous battle the two countries are strong allies today..amazing

[JoeNicks]

So sad that all those young men, on both sides, died and we will never know what they would have brought in to this world. My dad fought with the Army on Guadalcanal, he rarely talked about his time there.
 Thanks for posting.
JN

[animalyze]

Never Amazes me the jackasses on the internet who Down vote a historical video about so many soldiers who gave their lives on both sides. 156 loads that would have better off had they been swallowed as of 3/2019.

Great video! Keep up the good work.

[edrupp]

May Dad was a US Naval Aviator (tail gunner on an SBD Dauntless) stationed at Pearl Harbor (Ford Island NAS) from 1943 - 1945. He never spoke much of his WWII service, even though I frequently asked. One thing he did tell me, however, really stuck in my mind. I'll paraphrase what he told me one night at the dinner table:
"I was always amazed at the contrast between the boys [Marines] heading off ( i.e., boarding ships at Pearl Harbor that were sailing off to battle) and the men returning" (i.e., Marines disembarking at Pearl from ships returning from combat). "The boys lining up to board were always laughing, joking, pranking each other, etc. But the Men returning (from combat; disembarking down the gang planks) were always silent, walking slowly, usually staring down at their feet. At times they seemed like ghosts coming off those ships". He then added: "I always wondered what kind of hell they encountered". Thanks for your videos. They made me think of that story Dad told me.

[mbuckholz]

I'd probably cry being there. Just imagining what it had to of been like

[brentkitchens]

Thank you for the video it was great to see where my grandfather was in WWII. February 19, 1945 would be the first day my grandfather Chester Kitchens a 19 years old Private machine gunner would be at battle. He would not be on the island very long as Chester was a heavy machine gunner. At the Battle of Iwo Jima, the average life expectancy of a Marine heavy-machine gunner was 30 seconds, from the time he set up the weapon. He was on the island for just 2 days as he was shot in the head on February 21st. He would pass away in 2009 a few days before his 83rd birthday. Not bad for a Marine who never learned how to swim. I am very grateful for his time that he spent serving our country.