February 19, 2022 marks the 77th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“Located roughly half way between Saipan and Tokyo, and directly under the flight path of B-29 Superfortress bombers headed to Japan, the island of Iwo Jima was a Japanese stronghold of crucial strategic importance and could not be bypassed. Not only would Iwo Jima make an excellent base for Allied fighters escorting B-29 raids, but it would also project the flank of the forthcoming invasion of Okinawa.”
https://www.usmcmuseum.com/battle-of-iwo-jima.html
Learn more:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/02/75-years-later-battle-iwo-jima-haunts-veteran/
https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/story/Article/2051094/marines-landed-on-iwo-jima-75-years-ago/