Operation Detachment

Operation Detachment was the World War II amphibious invasion of the island of Iwo Jima by the United States against the Empire of Japan. This battle, which took place from February 19 to March 16, 1945, was one of the bloodiest in U.S. Marine Corps history.

The strategic importance of Iwo Jima lay in its location, which was halfway between the Mariana Islands and Japan. Capturing the island would provide U.S. fighter planes a base to escort bombers raiding Japan and offer a location for emergency landings. The Japanese defenders, led by Lieut. Gen. Kuribayashi Tadamichi, were deeply entrenched in a network of caves and tunnels, making the U.S. advance incredibly difficult and costly. Despite fierce resistance, the U.S. forces eventually secured the island, though at a high price in casualties. The iconic photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi became a symbol of the battle and the war in the Pacific.12