On February 19, 1945, approximately 70,000 US Marines landed at Iwo Jima, which started one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the USMC. Approximately 7,000 Marines died and another 20,000 were wounded. The island was finally secured on March 16, 1945. The Medal of Honor was awarded to 27 men at Iwo Jima, more than any other battle in US history. My wife and I lived a very short distance from the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, DC while in graduate school at Georgetown. It is certainly an unforgettable sculpture. While the names of those immortalized in the sculpture of the flag raising at Mount Suribachi have changed, there can be no doubt as to the courage and valor of all who fought at Iwo Jima. And for their sacrifice, I am deeply grateful. (my sources:  The American Legion Magazine and the National WWII Museum)