Out of every casualty the Marines suffered in the second World War about a third of those would fall on this small volcanic island. No battle in the Marine Corps’ history compared to the horrors Marines would face on this small island only about 8 square miles. Robin Barrett was a Marine in the 5th division who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. In an interview taken for the documentary 36 days of hell he stated there were 68 Marines when we arrived on the island and when we left the island of the entire group he was one of the 3 that lasted twenty eight days without injury or death. Keith Nelson was another Marine from the 5th division who fought alongside his fellow Marines during this horrific battle. He stated in an interview for the same documentary mentioned above that there were 252 men when they arrived. He states that about 100 of them survived the first day and on the 7th day they received 50 replacements. Nelson goes on to say that on the 24th day there were only 12 Marines of the 300 who they began with. Finally after 36 days of constant fighting the battle was over. The intensity of the battle lasted up to the last two to three hours. This was one of the most grueling battles in American history and definitely the one of the bloodiest in Marine Corps history.1 &
Out of every casualty the Marines suffered in the second World War about a third of those would fall on this small volcanic island. No battle in the Marine Corps’ history compared to the horrors Marines would face on this small island only about 8 square miles. Robin Barrett was a Marine in the 5th division who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. In an interview taken for the documentary 36 days of hell he stated there were 68 Marines when we arrived on the island and when we left the island of the entire group he was one of the 3 that lasted twenty eight days without injury or death. Keith Nelson was another Marine from the 5th division who fought alongside his fellow Marines during this horrific battle. He stated in an interview for the same documentary mentioned above that there were 252 men when they arrived. He states that about 100 of them survived the first day and on the 7th day they received 50 replacements. Nelson goes on to say that on the 24th day there were only 12 Marines of the 300 who they began with. Finally after 36 days of constant fighting the battle was over. The intensity of the battle lasted up to the last two to three hours. This was one of the most grueling battles in American history and definitely the one of the bloodiest in Marine Corps history.1 &