Today, JJ’s Star Spangled Salute honors WWII Veteran and Purple Heart recipient Dennis Meyers. The 78th Anniversary of the Marines invading Iwo Jima in one of the wars most iconic and bloodiest battles just passed. At 98 years old, Dennis is still making a daily effort to find peace from his service in the Marines. Dennis said, “A lot of people don’t realize how terrible war actually is,We landed 60,000 Marines. And out of those 60,000 Marines 22,000 were either killed or wounded.” He now finds that peace at his local Veterans park, sitting reminiscing and looking at the names on the stones, including the names of his 6 brothers.  Thank you for sharing your story Dennis and THANK YOU for your service.

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THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA

The Battle of Iwo Jima took place during World War II from February 19 to March 26, 1945, on the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima, located in the Pacific Ocean. The United States aimed to capture the strategically significant island to use it as an airbase for further attacks on the Japanese mainland.

The battle was fiercely fought between the United States Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese defenders, under General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, had fortified the island with an intricate network of tunnels, bunkers, and underground caves, making it a formidable defensive position. The Marines faced intense resistance as they landed on the beaches, with heavy casualties on both sides.

The iconic photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi became a symbol of American victory and resilience. Despite the capture of the island, the battle was a costly one for the United States, with over 6,800 Marines losing their lives, and the Japanese suffering nearly 20,000 casualties. The harsh terrain and determined Japanese defense made the Battle of Iwo Jima one of the bloodiest and most iconic engagements of the Pacific War, highlighting the sacrifices made by both sides in the pursuit of strategic objectives.