February 23, 1945 Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima island, Tokyo Prefecture.
Yes, Iwo Jima is part of the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is as good an explanation as any as to why the battle was so hard fought.

The first flag raising, which at the time, everyone was so enthusiastic about.

And the much more famous second flag raising, which was filled with controversy for years afterwards.

In any event, the carnage on that little patch of sulfurous hell on earth had just begun and many of the men you see in these pictures were killed there.

Just something to consider today.

MILESFORTIS will return.