Young Marines Escort WWII Veterans to Iwo Jima

Ten youth members of the Young Marines traveled to Guam and Iwo Jima for the annual “Reunion of Honor” which took place Saturday, March 24, 2018.

The year 2018 is the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the 74th for Guam. Each year, American and Japanese veterans come together for remembrances of their fallen brothers and to recall the fierce battles that took place on the two islands during World War II.

“Every Young Marine who makes this annual trip treasures the experience,” said Col William P. Davis USMC (Ret), national executive director and CEO of the Young Marines. “They learned history from those who made history. Truly it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

The island of Iwo Jima is open just one day a year - for the Reunion of Honor. Young Marines, veterans, and families gathered near the landing beaches to conduct the memorial service at the Anniversary Monument. The service, conducted by dignitaries and veterans of the United States and Japan, remember and memorialize the young men who gave their lives during the savage campaign for the island.

In addition, the Young Marines visit Mt. Suribachi and the scene of the famed flag raising captured by photographer Joe Rosenthal on February 1945. The Young Marines also walked on the Black Sands of the landing beaches.

About Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, 750 miles south of Tokyo, is the middle island of the three tiny specks of the Volcano Islands. Five miles long, the island is honeycombed with volcanic vents. In addition, there are hundreds of natural caves, deep sulphur-exuding tunnels and steep gulleys across the surface. Ragged sea cliffs surround the island. Only to the south is there level sand, but it is shifting black pumice dust making the beaches like quicksand and making it impossible to dig a fox-hole.

The island was riddled with pillboxes, gun-pits, trenches and mortar sites. A three-day naval bombardment on February 16, 1945, was intended to rid the island of much of its defense. Unfortunately, the bombardment had minimal effect.

A 36-day assault resulted in an American victory but at great cost. There were more than 26,000 American casualties including 6,800 dead. Of the 20,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,083 survived. The Marines' efforts, however, provided a vital link in the U.S. chain of bomber bases.

About the Young Marines

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501c (3) youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

Since the Young Marines' humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to 270 units with 9,000 youth and 2,600 adult volunteers in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in other countries.

For more information, visit the official website at: http://www.YoungMarines.com.