Iojima Hill, not Iwo Jima Hill!!
What is better to do on a Sunday after having a 4 hour sleep, to much sake and karaoke the day before? A day trip to Iojima hill. Ok, this is not the Iwo Jima hill that Johnny Cash sings about in “The ballad of Ira Hayes”, but it could easily have been that hill. I was disappointed when I searched for the real spelling, since I thought that I did visit the “Iwo Jima” (it’s like finding out that you will se Robbie Williams but instead, you end up with Robin Williams).About the Iwo Jima: During the pacific campaign of WWII between the US and the empire of Japan in 1945. Japan lost many man and the USA, as Johnny Cash sings, “There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill, Two hundred and fifty men But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again”. The overtake of Iwo Jima was important to the USA since it gave them a base on the way back to the states to land. The Japanese had their radar at the Iwo Jima hill which notified incoming B-29 (Boeing used in attacks). Iwo Jima was also used for incoming Japanese aircraft, heavily loaded with bombs and fuel.
About Iojima Hill: It's kind of a resort with spa and nice hills and a Costa Del sol. I'd rather wisit Iwo Jima instead.
The last photo shows the Japanese coast guard today. I'm glad that it doesn't have the same size today as it did during WWII.
posted by Diana Chavlah at 7:07 p.m.
5 Comments:
My great uncle was a Marine who fought on Iwo Jima. I have a picture somewhere.
I would probably rather visit the battlefield as well, but a spa sounds nice.
I am so glad that the war ended peacefully and that the Japanese are now on the whole such a positive force in the World. I cannot say the same about the United States though.
the war ended peacefully... hm, 1.7 mio japanese soldiers and 360.000 civilians dead. WWII in asia cost about 15 mio peoples life. two atomic bombs. allright.
to pace, I'd love to se the photos. it's really intressting.
The japanese were not "the angels" during the WWII, actually, without the US,the war would have gonne on longer.
To besserwisser; The japanese were allied with the germans. Compared to how many german lost (in addition to their population), they managed to get off relatively soft (not that I menan that aroun 2 milion killed is a litle, but I mean relatively)
"the war ended peacefully... hm, 1.7 mio japanese soldiers and 360.000 civilians dead. WWII in asia cost about 15 mio peoples life. two atomic bombs. allright."
Obviously the war was not peaceful, but when the Emperor declared the war over, that was pretty much it except for the islands where Japanese did not realise the the war had ended. MacArthur essentially wrote the Japanese constitution and they have stuck to it with little question. There was no violent upheaval, civil war, or insurgency. The structure of society was maintained, and the focus of the Japanese shifted from Imperial domination to economic prosperity. Since then, Japan has had no more real military conflicts and have only enriched the rest of the world through scientific and technological innovation and competitively priced products. That to me qualifies as a peaceful end to a war.
From Kubrick's 'Dr. Strangelove':
MANDRAKE
Ah... yes, they did. I was tortured by the Japanese, Jack, if you must know. Not a pretty story.
RIPPER
Well what happened?
MANDRAKE
Oh... well... I don't know, Jack. Difficult to think of under these conditions. But, well, what happened was they got me on the old Rangoon HNRR railway. I was laying train mines for the bloody Japanese puff puffs.
RIPPER
No, I mean when they tortured you, did you talk?
MANDRAKE
Ah, oh no, I ah... I don't think they wanted me to talk, really. I don't think they wanted me to say anything. It was just their way of having... a bit of fun, the swines. Strange thing is they make such bloody good cameras.
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