A brass band played under a blazing sun as American veterans and Japanese dignitaries gathered Wednesday on the remote island of Iwo Jima to mark the 67th anniversary of one of World War II's bloodiest and most symbolic battles.
The guests from both nations saluted their flags near the foot of Mt. Suribachi, where five U.S. Marines and a Navy corpsman raised the U.S. flag in 1945. An Associated Press photo of them would become the most iconic image of the Pacific war.
Fighting began on Feb. 19, 1945, and Iwo Jima was declared secure on March 26. Virtually all the Japanese soldiers were killed in the battle, which claimed 6,821 U.S. and 21,570 Japanese lives.
(freep.com)
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