Okinawa

60 years ago today my great uncle landed on an island not to far from Japan. He struggled to stay alvie and fought side by side with fellow soldiers and friends. This was the invasion of Okinawa. I have heard many stories about what the Army and Marines went through there. My great uncle was with the 96th Infantry Division when he went there. Today that invasion alone still haunts him. He has only told me one story about that invasion and nothing else. Today lets remeber what those men went through and possibly what your great uncle or grandfather endured there.


Hit'em hard and hit'em fast till they hope you don't come back.
-Thunderbolt47

 

Hi Thunderbolt47!

I just finished reading an oral history book on the Battle for Okinawa...It's called 'Operation Iceberg...the invasion and conquest of Okinawa in WWII' by Gerald Astor. I'm pretty sure he had some stories from the men of the 96th in his book.


You can buy it on Amazon.com for only a few bucks, it's worth a read.

Hope you enjoy it, I did!

~Stich~

 

Okinawa was the last big land battle and the preview for the invasion of Japan. The Japanese changed their operational art and tactics. Instead of meeting the Americans on the beaches, they pulled back and waited until they came inland. The Japanese took advantage of the many villages and ceremonial tombs for sniper cover, and entrenched heavily. In the air, the Japanese hurled waves of kamikazes, including the biggest of them all, the battleship Yamato, which was supposed to sail to Okinawa, fire all her shells at the Americans, beach herself, and her crew would debark and serve as infantry. She never made it. American carrier planes sank her first. When the battle was over, so were both commanding generals, Ushijima for the Japanese (hara-kiri) and Buckner (Japanese shellfire). I don't know the casualty figures, but it was a bloody mess on both sides.