The Battle of Okinawa: The Pacific's Bloodiest

[@officernealy]

Going to the Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum was one of the best experiences in my trip to Japan. When I was in Tokyo, something that annoyed me a tad was when visiting one of their biggest museums, all they had on WW2 was a single wall that had a very “woe is me” attitude regarding themselves. In Okinawa however pleasently surprised me that the museum went into great deal about the sheer brutality of the battle and how the native Ryukyu people were the biggest victims of IJA atrocities. However, the biggest shock was finding my great Uncle’s name on the memorial wall. My Uncle (his nephew) told me the family thought he died in Saipan, but it turns out he actually made it all the way to Naha. It must of been hell for him but I’m proud he did what he could. Glad I know the truth, Uncle Jay.

[@Hyde_Hill]

Good to hear they at least acknowledge those horrors. Nanking and Unit 371 on the other hand.

[@sbsstorytelling]

Went to the Okinawa Peace Museum when I was 17, and it shaped how I looked at everything from that point forward. Didn't go to the war memorial in Tokyo, however, but wish I had. Now I'm going to check it out; ty internet. Edit: and thank you for writing about it.

[@Alexwhatisit]

That's a lot of Japan's recollection of ww2, it's a lot of "woe is me" never "we enslaved portions of Asia so brutality that they have a deep hatred for us still to this day, sorry!"

[@bman6065]

Japan got let off easy post war thanks to MacArthur and the Cold War.

[@officernealy]

@@Alexwhatisit Y'know what's interesting? When I was planning my trip, my travel agent told me that World War II is a taboo and to not talk about it. However, when I actually talked to and befriended people there, they actually asked *ME* about it. Most of them weren't ultra-nationalists and IJA apologists, we actually had civil conversations (except for one older lady who asked me _"Am I sorry about Hiroshima & Nagasaki?"_ like I was the guy in the Enola Gay who released the bombs). Perhaps its a generational thing because despite younger Japanese people being more preoccupied in their day-to-day lives (jobs, dating, video games, school, etc.) it seems like they're more open to hearing about and accepting the role their country had in the conflict. It still doesn't excuse garbage like Yasukuni Shrine honoring class A war criminals nor does it excuse that a lot of their official narratives in places like museums sounding like _"[sniff] We were just trying to keep peace in the Pacific [sob]... and then the Americans came and kicked our teeth in for no reason!"_

[@dictatorofthecheese]

Just a reminder that allied casualties were 56,000 with around 12,000 dead. This was one battle. 20 years of war in Afghanistan and 8 years in Iraq lead to less than 9000 American deaths. Okinawa was a bloodbath. Its estimated 77,000 Japanese soldiers and conscripts died. It blows my mind to this day.

[@keryeeastin4022]

What about civilians lost?

[@dictatorofthecheese]

@keryeeastin4022 40,000-150,000 killed. Very hard to get an accurate number due to how many died during the fighting, were forced to fight for the Japanese, or were brainwashed into killing themselves and their families.

[@kearseymorton2078]

please don't forget the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan

[@Ordoscc]

@@kearseymorton2078 You're going to need to provide a non-vatnik source for that, or you'll be sent to the mobik meat cube.

[@kronocul3564]

@bulletflight fellow NCDer?

[@BigDaddy-dr8gf]

My dad was assigned to an attack transport, as a yeoman, during the assault on Okinawa. After the war he met my mother and they married. At the wedding, he met his brother-in-law and found out that they had both served in the Pacific; my uncle was a Marine and my father a Navy sailor. On further conversation they found out that my uncle was aboard the exact same attack transport, during the invasion, that my father was stationed on. My father received shrapnel wounds in the back from a Japanese Kamikaze attack and my Uncle was shot in the shoulder and leg. My father went on to make a career in the Navy and My uncle was medically discharged. RIP Uncle Jim and Dad. You both served your country well. I miss you both. Thank you all veterans for your service.

[@stigthe1227]

As a native Japanese living on the mainland, I’ve never heard of the details of the battle of Okinawa and it was nice to hear it on the day when Japan surrendered to the allies. Keep up the nice work!! Also a quick side note: Shuri (modern day Naha) was and still is the largest city in Okinawa since the 13th century

[@RichChigga42]

That’s because Japan still denies there atrocities

[@Asif24960]

Japan has forgotten its history. Today, Japanese are a disgrace to their forefathers

[@HumbleAshe]

I recall seeing how parts of the Battle of Okinawa were portrayed in Hacksaw Ridge. A bit embellished in parts, but the chaos and blood in the battles on the ground were something that always stuck out a lot like some of what we had seen with D-Day in Saving Private Ryan. (And of course, massive respect to Desmond Doss for saving so many people during the battle.)

[@sendthis9480]

Actually…I heard the opposite about Doss and Hacksaw Ridge. I heard they had to leave out some very factual parts of the story, because it all seemed too unbelievable for a movie as it was. I think they messed up some of the personal story of Doss…like when he got married, and his parents timeline, etc. However the battle at Hacksaw Ridge was actually much more incredible. He was charging into gunfire, and batting off grenades. Redone, it looked more like a cartoon. So they had to omit some parts.

[@JimothyLahey]

I believe that "Hacksaw Ridge" is one of those movies where creative liberties were taken because the real story would be too unbelievable. In the movie, Pvt. Doss saves something like 10-15 soldiers, whereas in real life, he saved like 70+ As a side note, one of my favourite stories from Desmond Doss is when he helped out a soldier who thought he was blinded. When Doss cleaned the caked blood and grime from the soldier's eyes, the soldier smiled when he realized he wasn't actually blind. In an interview, Doss said that if the only reward he had ever received from his service during the war was the smile on that soldier's face, he would have been repaid well enough. He was more than just a war hero, he was a real humble hero of humanity too.

[@idiot_city5444]

A lot of the violence in Hacksaw Ridge comes across cartoonish, like that scene of a marine running holding a comrades corpse as a shield and firing a BAR one handed lol. It's almost like an old war movie from the 60's just with over the top gore put into it. Still a good movie tho

[@idiot_city5444]

@@joshuablair252 difference between realistic and cartoonish

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

In 1995, the Okinawa government erected a memorial monument named the Cornerstone of Peace in Mabuni, the site of the last fighting in southeastern Okinawa. The memorial lists all the known names of those who died in the battle, civilian and military, Japanese and foreign. As of 2022, the monument lists 241,686 names.

[@TotallyCoral]

My dads uncle died in 1945 at the Pacific sea during this battle from wounds. My grandpa was in the 5th division of marines who went in to Iwo Jima. He survived. It’s surprising to learn how terrifyingly horrible these two battles were. Rest in peace

[@flycatcher123]

Grandfather was a Radioman, Tec4, in the Army's 77th Division, 305th Regiment on Okinawa. He survived. He spoke little of the battle, but what he shared will stay with me forever. RIP.

[@ProvidenceNL]

This battle shows a fraction of what an invasion of the true home islands of Japan would have been. The country would have been utterly destroyed.

[@Godzilla00X]

Would be a blood bath of legendary proportions. Can't fathom the losses on both sides plus the civilians caught in the fighting

[@TimesFM4532]

@@Godzilla00Xtbf I imagine for at least a year before boots in the ground america would bomb Japan into the Stone Age and turn it into the world largest siege

[@Biring1]

The Japanese were so fanatical they would've sacrificed everyone until they were all gone

[@VCBird6]

​@HrTjernobyl wrong. The Japanese High Command were the fanatical ones. They didn't want to stand trial for their war crimes against China and their death marches in Bataan. They were ready to sacrifice the whole country to save their own necks under the auspices of Bushido.

[@maximilianodelrio]

​@@TimesFM4532they had already been bombing Japan into the stone age for a good while by 1945, the invasion was scheduled for November of that year

[@loyalistmundicomedentisdux9538]

Okinawa really was a horror. I remember watching this documentary at some point. Most of it was like all documentaries until it got to one part. The cliffs. It had showed footage and images of civilians tossing themselves off cliffs. And it showed the aftermath of the falls. It was hard seeing crumpled piles of flesh of what moments ago was a little child was not even a few years old. It's among the greatest of horrors of the entire war.

[@Mr.InbetweenFX]

That was the result of the IJA spreading lies about the US forces. Very unfortunate.

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Indeed

[@joelellis7035]

I remember a documentary showing Okinawans fleeing to the US lines and Japanese shooting after them.

[@daehr9399]

Met a Marine once who fought on Okinawa. He was in his 90s. Still a devil dog - man could have probably killed me if he wished to and I'm almost a century younger. I asked him about Okinawa and he said that, after the war, he heard it was the worst battle of the Pacific, "but I didn't think it was too bad...it was like any other battle." still raises hairs on my arms.

[@isaiahkayode6526]

That's why we called them The Devil Dogs.

[@silverhawkscape2677]

No Battle was worst when they are all terrible.

[@Coolerman565]

Those Marine sure had one hell of a job on their hands, Japanese were good soldiers because they were fanatics, i think in that sort of combat men have to be in total killing mode forget taking prisoners , war reduces men to that level.

[@grapeshot]

My great-uncle was a Montford Point Marine, and he fought in the Battle of Okinawa.

[@MisterPlanePilot]

Thank you for mentioning Desmond Doss. As a fellow from his Virginia, he is truly heald as a hero every year and has an expressway named after him. The movie Hacksaw Ridge tells his incredible story.

[@vlbz]

I learned after watching Hacksaw Ridge, that Desmond Doss was such a legend during the fight, the movie actually toned it down a bit, fearing it wouldn't be believable.

[@jameshudkins2210]

My Dad was in the Merchant Marine anchored off Okinawa waiting for Naha to be taken. He was surprised how he could watch planes take off from an aircraft carrier fly over Naha, watch flak from the ground and the planes return to the carrier all in a few minutes. He also remarked how really deafening battle was. He said it was the loudest thing he ever heard.

[@Mondo762]

Retired Merchant Marine here. I sailed with a few guys that were in that fleet off of Okinawa. Your father was as much a hero as any sailor out there.

[@carringtonbearden4479]

The Pacific mini series on HBO did a really good job a depicting the brutality of war as well as the mental toll it took on the minds of the GIs.

[@changer_of_ways_999]

It's grossly overlooked just how brutal and horrible the Japanese were in WW2. The unfortunate decision of the atom bombs was the least worst option given the nature of the Japanese and how they fought, particularly civilians.

[@taenaran]

My grandfather was a Marine. He was at the Battle of Okinawa. I asked him once what he thought of the US’ use of the atomic bombs on Japan. He said it saved his life. He was convinced he was going to die if we invaded the Japanese mainland based off the casualty numbers in Okinawa. He also said, “ They started it, we finished it”.

[@chriscolton6329]

Their treatment of POWs was appalling. I still cannot believe that Hirohito was given a pass for the countless atrocities his men carried out. My granddad was in Burma, and hated the Japs for the rest of his life...

[@andrewsmith3257]

​@@taenaranabsolutely!

[@UnsolicitedContext]

⁠@@taenaranmy grandfather said something along the lines of ‘when we heard what happened, our only thought was “we’re going to get to grow old”’

[@idiot_city5444]

​@@taenaranlike his quote at the end there. I think more people today need to realize Japan brought all of this upon themselves

[@Mondo762]

My father was in the second wave of troops landing on Okinawa the first day. He was a US Army Combat Engineeer. He was involved in a lot of cave fighting, which left him with some terrible memories. He was within 100 yards of General Buckner when he was killed by a mortar round. He then fought all the way to the southern end of the island.

[@henryvegter8773]

Amen and God bless him!

[@theawesomeman9821]

your father deserves his own movie

[@tfox2925]

Living on Okinawa was crazy to think about sometimes. It’s a really cool place now but when you’d be out in the field or driving across the island it was hard not to think of how absolutely horrible it would’ve been to fight across it. The terrain is really no joke and the weather can be even worse

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:35 - Chapter 1 - Japan last stand 3:50 - Chapter 2 - Typhoon of steel 7:55 - Chapter 3 - Tropical nightmare 13:05 - Chapter 4 - The aftermath

[@cotyjames9709]

Ignition allways the Mvp of the comment section.

[@Mr.InbetweenFX]

Fuck yeah I love ignition for this one💯💯💯

[@bigbird0993]

I had a uncle who apparently served in Okinawa as a mine sweeper in the Australian Navy respect us marines for their tough fighting

[@Mondo762]

It was actually the US Army that did most the fighting on Okinawa.

[@zacharybaird9236]

You should do an entire episode on the war wffort at home. One of my great aunts worked at a factory that tripled in size between christmas of 41 and the end of January 42. It was all done by the army corp of engineers. They made helmets and armor plating.

[@calendarpage]

There is an excellent series on YT, 'War Factories.' It covers specifics like planes and ships, but also general mobilization of factories for the war effort in the US and UK. While I watch a lot of WWII videos, I didn't think I'd be interested in documentaries about the factories, but I was wrong. They make an effort to include people of color and women.

[@stephenlewis6653]

My great grandfather helped build LST's in Evansville IN. That would be an interesting episode.

[@moendopi5430]

The really sad thing is that a lot of those Marines lost on Okinawa barely had any training. They called them 3 week wonders. Eugene Sledge's book With The Old Breed had some pretty detailed account from Okinawa. Most that survived had been guys that had been a the previous campaigns. I wasn't a huge fan of the show the Pacific, but its ending was pretty powerful with Eugene having come home and just didn't know what to do. Just sitting under a tree in a daze.

[@Musket33]

I'm about halfway through "The Old Breed" now. His personal accounts are both mesmerizing and gut wrenching. Anyone who advocates for war should read Sledge's book. I am a Vietnam veteran and witnessed some horror there, but nothing to compare with Peleliu or Okinawa. May they all rest in peace.

[@jaybeeonyt]

Thank you for your service​@@Musket33

[@platinumpineapple9943]

wait how are u not a fan of the pacific? The show is amazing

[@muthias4582]

9:43 Lord, help me get one more. Good of you Simon to give a great mentioning to such a hero like Desmond.

[@williamhumes7332]

He's a homophobic monster. His church deserves to be hunted down . His God is evil. He killed Pyhrra Nikos for the lulz.

[@CalasTyphon488]

Well done for mentioning the commonwealth force's as there often overlooked in the Pacific campaign, also worth pointing out that the main land Japanese had little regard for the inhabitants of Okinawa , they didn't consider them proper Japanese people.

[@tomhenry897]

Still do

[@joshoetken5846]

​@@tomhenry897I was about to say the same thing lol

[@marnold2791]

Even the Japanese immigrants to Hawaii looked down on the Okinawan immigrants during the pre-war years.

[@jeffcordova9633]

Simon!!! You are a true scholar of history and knowledge As an American who has watched every video you've made on our nation's history... I thank you mate!! This battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest in WWII for our boys And the horrific things that civilians of that island had to endure.... Truly sad times of war

[@alberthartl8885]

My father was commander of the 17th infantry regiment of the 7th division. They were tasked to fight from west to east in the central part of the island. The fighting was horrific with thousands of casualties. The treatment of civilians and the willingness to fight to the death were definitely factors in the use of atomic weapons to end the war.

[@robwebster1098]

Back in 2020 I was in Okinawa and I went to see Hacksaw Ridge. You can still see some tunnels dug out, but most are filled in. Funny enough, the ridge actually is located near an ancient castle ruins. It was a trip to know that there was so much loss on the spot you were standing on. I also got to see the Peace park located on the southern tip, near naha. It's awe inspiring to see how many people died in the battle as you can see on the granite stones there.

[@williamhumes7332]

Ban Hacksaw Ridge! Desmond Doss is a homophobic man!

[@egomaniac8510]

Simon with all respect Desmond doss is a CMH recipient. He deserved the respect of you at least acknowledging a Hollywood blockbuster about Desmond doss. Hacksaw ridge.

[@williamhumes7332]

He's a homophobic monster.

[@sbsstorytelling]

My Papa was there. UDT 6. Good video, Simon. Thanks for the close-up look at it.

[@ronaldredmond3308]

My dad was in The Battle of Okinawa. He served with the US Army 7th Infantry Division. He only talked about it once.

[@eugeneoliveros5814]

7:28 the part about this that gets me is that yamato actually didn’t shoot down very many aircraft, it’s it’s own ammunition detonation destroying more planes then it’s actual guns did

[@MrTexasDan]

The Japanese Navy had terrible AA guns.

[@KealohaHarrison]

My grandfather was a PFC in the Marines fresh out of basic training when he was sent to Okinawa at 18. Obviously he rarely talked about his service, but he was a BAR man and was part of the first wave to land so I can only imagine how brutal what he saw must’ve been. A few weeks into the battle, his CO told him he’d be on mortar duty from that point on further away from the front lines. It ended up saving his life as he was one of only seven in his unit of 200 soldiers to survive Okinawa. Even luckier and unbeknownst to him until after the war, one of his five brothers was also at Okinawa but he stayed on one of the many battleships as a radio operator. Their mother prayed day and night for her five sons and one daughter-in-law to make it back home and they did. Papa Mike and Uncle Jack both lived into their 90s, may they all rest in peace.

[@johnlarson111]

my father was on the deck of a hospital ship watching the battle of Okinawa. he said the kamikazes were attacking the carriers and destroyers and the bodies of marines floating on the waves and being stacked like cordwood on the beaches.

[@duanejohnson]

I know many historians state that the two atomic bombs dropped on the home islands of Japan were unnecessary, but this battle basically supplied the intelligence needed to make that agonizing decision. If Japan was willing to use the civilian population in the manner they did, you would have to multiply that by at least 100 fold if not 1000 times that. The Japanese military knew they had zero chance of winning but was willing to destroy their entire civilization, I know people use the argument of the battle of Berlin as an example of not using atomic power to end the conflict but by the time the Soviet Army rolled into Berlin most of the civilian population had lost the zeal of Nazism. The Japanese had the mindset that Hirorito was a living God and the mindset of following him to the death. Now while the atomic attacks were tragic the allies traded a few hundred thousand deaths in exchange for millions of deaths and the destruction of the Japanese in any significant numbers of sovereignty. I truly think that had Operation Olympic had started it would have ended Japan as a nation and probably made it another proxy state between Capalizim and Communism.

[@silverhawkscape2677]

TY. Imperial Japan were simply a different breed.

[@leggonarm9835]

Those bombs were necessary. If not for them, millions perhaps would be gone. An entire island nation would be lost.

[@MrTexasDan]

Great points. I'd add that even though the Germans "had lost the zeal of Nazism", the Soviets still lost 80k killed and a quarter million wounded taking Berlin. Any way you look at it, Operation Downfall was going to be a monumental bloodbath.

[@asmo1313]

There is usually a policial agenday behind those statements or they are uttered by japanese people who are only looking at "poor us" My granddad "enjoyed" a couple of years of japanese hospitality in a Jap led concentration camp. After losing his first wive to the brutality of the japanese and 2 plus years of torture and starvation, he was dissappionted that the whole of Japan didn`t get nuked into the ground. He was mentally and physically scarred for the rest of his life because of those "poor Japanese". They deserved it.

[@eduardovaldivia5572]

@@leggonarm9835 the US occupation would have lasted for many decades afterwards.

[@RiffeLivingLife]

My Great Uncle Embrie Easterly was second wave on Iwo Jima he was a Grave Mortician at home so he had to identify bodies throughout the battle and the first wave didn't make it. Okinawa was no better. Our Freedoms fought for and defended by Blood thank you to the fallen Heroes. Thank you for your videos please continue until you can create a WW2 documentary from them

[@stenkamx5406]

I was a Marine Stationed in Okinawa. Truly an incredible and beautiful place. But it just had this dark feeling to it. Knowing it's history, the fact that even today when it comes to new construction they still find unexploded shells buried. A very interesting place.

[@mh3594]

I just knew when I refreshed the feed Simon would have a fresh Warographics for us all

[@kenstrumpf909]

My dad was a Marine Corps veteran of the battle. He had a lifelong respect for the fighting spirit of the Japanese.

[@markedis5902]

Brilliant bit of writing and presentation. Perhaps the best episode I’ve seen.

[@LovelyBriVertefeuill]

I love learning the history of Okinawa. I’m stationed there as a military member and my personal goal while there is to help their island. I volunteer to clean their beaches and love making friends with the locals. It’s an absolutely stunning place and the people are amazing! I wouldn’t want anything to happen to it and I’ll protect the island and its people as if they were my own. Highly recommend a visit and to learn their history and culture, it’s actually very cool to learn and participate in :)

[@trj1442]

Wow, that was an excellent episode Warographics team. War is definitely hell.

[@stuartriefe1740]

My Dad, Bruce, had to rush through College in just 3 instead of 4 years, per some agreement with the Navy. After training he was assigned to the USS Valencia, a Tolland Class Attack Cargo ship (AKA-81)that carried equipment, vehicles and Marines. The ship was built in just 3 months, May-July 1944, commissioned 9 January 1945, decommissioned 8 May 1946. The ship participated in Okinawa and received one battle star, and like many Dad’s he barely spoke about the experience. But after the war he did write down from memory and notes the names of every port and island the Valencia stopped at, the dates, and the spelling. He shared this shortly before he passed. Later I fact checked it online and everything word was accurate! He also amazed me by the number of souvenirs he returned with. There is no way it all of fit it his standard issue kaki duffel bag! (Yup, still got it…) He must have shipped some stuff home to my grandparents. The Valencia was a civilian cargo ship under two names until 1970, when it finally scraped.

[@TheRealAb216]

I was stationed on Okinawa from 04-07 and most of the Okinawan youth have no idea what happened on the island.

[@darkhymn]

Japan doesn't really like to talk about the war. It's hard to blame them. The Japanese military in WWII made the Nazis look downright humane. Cannibalism, slavery, children forced to fight on the front lines, human shields, rape and slaughter on an unimaginable scale. I wouldn't want to talk about it either.

[@Beryllahawk]

My near-brother was a Marine and was stationed in Okinawa. Even all this time after the war the scars are still there on the land and on the people. Some of my family tried to tell me when I was a kid, that the Okinawans were happy with the Americans because "at least they weren't the Japanese." But this video makes it painfully clear that it was FAR more complicated than that. I couldn't quite understand it when bro was telling me about things that happened while he was on the island, but I have a much better idea now. :(

[@murrayscott9546]

Near-brother ?

[@scout3058]

Having lived on Okinawa as a civilian (2012-2016) I can tell you that the only Ryukyu people that are unhappy with the American military presence are the leftist ones who are being paid to protest, by Chinese companies.

[@Beryllahawk]

@@murrayscott9546 heh, sorry - it's kind of an old joke in my family. My younger brother's best friend has the same name as him (Zack). When I met the guy I was maybe a little too tickled about it and decided "hey I have two brothers now!" And, somehow, it stuck! So since the second Zack isn't blood related but is just about as close as a brother with me - (I might should note too that I'm 13 years older than my brother so like, I had to think harder about ways to connect)

[@jaimevalencia6271]

Tf is a near brother? I read your comment about friends brother but still tf is that

[@murrayscott9546]

There are many types of brothers. Value ev

[@theblazingaura484]

Something he didn’t mention… when they captured Shuri castle they were also about to be attacked by a massive artillery strike… the way they showed that the castle was under US control…. Was by hanging the only type of American flag they had… a confederate flag from the top of the castle

[@thehuscarl4835]

The leader of the invasion, Gen. Simon B. Buckner, Jr., son of the Gen. Buckner who led the Kentucky Orphan Army in the name of the Confederacy during the Civil War, later ordered the Confederate flag replaced by a standard American flag because the victories being won were won by all Americans, not just the South.

[@jonmcgee6987]

The person who put that flag up was from South Carolina.

[@bobbirdwell5452]

I was stationed on “The Rock” back in the 80s. The Okinawans will correct you in a heartbeat if you call them “Japanese.” Beautiful place.

[@aq5426]

I'd love to see a Warographics about Desmond Doss, tbh. The man was a stone badass, and he deserved every molecule of that MoH.

[@williamhumes7332]

He's a homophobic man who needs to be forgotten.

[@graceneilitz7661]

That would fit better in on the biographics channel.

[@josecarrillo3151]

Been putting out Fire content lately thank you

[@witchdoctor1]

My maternal grandfather, a first generation American, fought at Iwo and Oki as a Seabee. He would be awarded a Purple Heart during Oki, as well as a BSM w/V device at Iwo, and a Silver Star at Okinawa. He lied about his age and falsified documents in order to enlist in '44 at the age of 16. Before he even became a legal adult, the man went through hell in the Pacific.

[@grayhatjen5924]

@witchdoctor1 Knew a local guy from my tiny village in NW PA whose story was similar to your grandpa's. He was in his 90s when he randomly shared his story with me. (I'm one of those people who others seem to unburdden their soul. They didn't tell their siblings or even their own children, but they see me and they're like, that person. That's who I'm supposed to tell. Generally, I don't share even though I'm pretty sure all of them have passed by now. But since Duke's story was so similar to your own grandpa's, I thought I'd share.) So Duke also lied about his age. This was one of the last periods that that really worked because of how our documentation/verification advanced. Duke was also a SeaBee. I can't recall whether he was at Iwo Jima or if he arrived in time for Okinawa, I have it somewhere. I just remember him telling me his group was on burial detail, that they had to come through and bury all these dead Marines. And I remember him saying that it was no place for a 17 year old. He wasn't blaming them for letting him enlist because they didn't know. He didn't even really sound like he was blaming himself. It was more like he was just stating a fact. He was a smiley, gentle old dude that had owned and ran a local garage/gas station for who knows how long. Those guys (and the gals that had the rare opportunities), they were all horses of a different color, unique unto themselves. Over the past 30 years I've watched a plethora of those guys go from working the honor guard at my grandpa's funeral (he was in the Navy, a Machinists Mate 1st class, airplane mechanic at that point, in Hawaii during WWII) to being honored themselves at their own. It's been sad to see them go, but it's been an honor to know each and every one of them. Glad you shared your story ✌🏻

[@Musket33]

Well done. I'd like to see a similar segment done on the lesser known but equally brutal battle for Peleliu.

[@chriscrawford3809]

My grandfather was island hopping in the Pacific as a E4 in the US Marine Corp during WW2. He made it home and had 10 kids and never once talked or mentioned the war. He dead at 72y/o as a proud Marine!

[@fr2ncm9]

Please do a video on the World War 2 Battle of the Hurtgen Forrest. It was widely considered to be a strategic failure. Soldiers referred to it as the green hell. More than 30,000 American soldiers lost their lives during the course of this three month battle.

[@rynomc9351]

Love the work that you all do on all of your alls' channels. Any plans to cover the 30 or 80 year wars?

[@Dani-hl3xu]

Great work being done on this channel always a pleasure being here

[@dirtcop11]

My Dad was there and he was in the 6th Division, 29th Regiment of the USMC. When they took the airfields after the landing it happened so quickly that a Japanese pilot landed his plane and dismounted leaving the engine running. To his shock and surprise, he was surrounded and captured by the Marines. Some of the units suffered more casualties, wounded and killed than their original complement of men. What happened to the civilian population was horrifying. The Japanese high command had used terror as a weapon against the Americans and the Okinawans.

[@mikedicewrites]

Was just listening to E.B Sledge's 'With the Old Breed' when this dropped. Perfect timing.

[@JesseOaks-ef9xn]

My Dad was in the first battalion, 29th Regiment, 6th division of the USMC. He went north then came back south and fought for the rest of the battle. He manned a flame thrower. He survived the war and I was born in 1951.

[@MrTexasDan]

In deliberating on the use of the bomb, Truman was afraid that an invasion of Japan would look like "Okinawa from one end of Japan to the other."

[@Lady_Asylum]

I lived in Okinawa, seeing the historical sites was such a harrowing experience

[@robertortiz-wilson1588]

Very well done coverage.

[@Coolerman565]

My Uncle was a 21 year old Oerlikon gunner on HMS Victorious aircraft carrier in that battle, many times i asked him about his experience he would always change the subject, the ship was hit i believe three times by Kamikazi, my Dad said he wa in a bit of a state when he came home.

[@MrTexasDan]

"a bit of a state" is British for PTSD?

[@Coolerman565]

@@MrTexasDan Yes thats what they call it these days, he had a terrible stammer for a while when he came home then after two years it just went away one day, he managed to get a job in the Town hall where he worked until he retired.

[@MrTexasDan]

@@Coolerman565 Glad it sorted itself out and he could have the good life he deserved.

[@Coolerman565]

@@MrTexasDan Yes he went on to live a good life but he married late in life, he was my Dads younger Brother and like a second Dad growing up, he always bought new cars and when i had started driving at 17 he always trusted me with his cars and let me drive them all the time.

[@bigeegs95]

My father was a machine gun crewman (30 caliber) in the 6th Marine Division (h/3/29). Wounded in action May 19, 1945. Grenade. Called it a "million dollar wound" but never spoke details of the battle. Died in 1998, I spent decades pumping him for info but he would clam up.

[@DW-qe7qe]

The taking of Sugar Loaf hill by the 6th was a hellacious battle in itself. Your father very most likely participated. There is lots of written material on the taking of this hill.

[@thelifeofjp1996]

I spent about 8 months on Okinawa as a Marine in 2016 and again 2018. I wish i would of explored more of the history while i was there and seen it for myself.

[@Dannymiles1987]

I have been in those mountains and jungles. It’s a nightmare. Especially on the north side. Not to mention the snakes, spiders, insects. Tropical weather all day.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and excellent introduction of Okinawa offensive operations by US and UK naval forces to ejecting Japanese defenders...thank you for sharing

[@twisten5541]

Love your content Simon keep it up

[@adam_clown]

Will you be able to do the Battle off Samar/The Last stand of the Tin Can Sailors? One of greatest David vs Goliath moments in history.

[@henryvegter8773]

Great idea, my wife was born and raised in northern Samar and her people have many memories!

[@FishFlys]

This was interesting to watch as a fish who's family grew up in the pacific during 1945-1946

[@paulfryejr2918]

Thanks, an educational and entertaining video

[@williamb.2167]

I like your channel. I just subscribed

[@rileymiller7012]

Not so fun fact: In preparation for a mainland invasion of Japan, the United States made Purple Heart medals, other commendations, etc. The amount of Purple Hearts made in the anticipation of the wounded is so great that the Purple Heart medals we give out today are the very same ones made all those years ago.

[@maximilianodelrio]

The description of the battle in Eugene sledge 's memoir, With the old breed, is beyond horrifying, a pretty and picturesque island with pretty grazing fields and hills turned into a repulsive muddy wasteland

[@thedungeondelver]

In With The Old Breed is a must-read for everyone interested in the Pacific War.

[@dingus6317]

@@thedungeondelverThey made a show about it as well that’s pretty good

[@maximilianodelrio]

@@dingus6317 yeah, the Pacific is a fantastic show that truly shows the horrors of war, I find it much better than band of brothers for that

[@thedungeondelver]

@@dingus6317Yeah The Pacific was a great miniseries. Do recommend. It is for that theater what Band of Brothers was for the European (from an American soldier's point of view, I mean.)

[@Fernando5455Jr]

Always a better day when a new video comes out

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

In terms of Operation TenGo Yamato never had a chance to reach Okinawa, this was known to its command staff who when told of the 'Special Mission and "Honor" they had received' sarcastically and bitterly asked if, "High Command would be joining us on this "Special Assignment" They knew they High Command of the IJN had ordered the special mission just to save face, not for any practical reason. The small flotilla was spotted by US submarines before they even passed Kyushu, if the planes hadn't finished her off, there was a backup of twelve US Battleships with their supporting cruisers, and destroyers to finish off the Yamato. Finally, it's something of a myth that Yamato and her escorts only had enough fuel for a one way trip. Against regulations and in sympathy to the members of the doomed task force, they were fueled with just enough for a two way trip.

[@tomhenry897]

No Japan didn’t have the fuel

[@grandadmiralzaarin4962]

@@tomhenry897 You are incorrect. Japan's fuel reserves were nearly exhausted, but there was still enough for the ten ship flotilla to make it to Okinawa and barely back. This is recounted by the surviving commanders of Yahagi, Tameichi Hara and Keizō Komura. It's also evident from the flotilla's evasive maneuvers at battle speed for the duration of the attacks. If there had been just barely enough for the one way trip, two hours of full speed evasive maneuvers(Which consumed vast quantities of fuel) would have made reaching Okinawa impossible afterwards. Not only did the flotilla conduct these maneuvers, but the surviving vessels conducted search and rescue for men in the water before returning to port.

[@sandovalperry2895]

My mom was one of those teenagers conscripted. She lost her father, three brothers and most of her high school class during the battle. She was so brainwashed that she tried to blow up the Americans rather than surrender. Fortunately she survived to become an American citizen

[@Hobbes4ever]

which is why operation Downfall would have resulted in way more casualties and the use of the two atomic bombs were justified

[@Corristo89]

The TV series "The Pacific" does a great job showing the absolute brutality of the battle and the impacts on soldiers like Eugene Sledge. Digging foxholes in the pouring rain amongst corpses barely covered by an inch of mud, slipping into a ditch filled with the decomposing remains of a Japanese soldier, witnessing Japanese soldiers using civilians as human shields, including strapping desperate mothers carrying their infant babies with explosives for them to walk into the Americans trying to get them to safety, seeing your friends being killed in pointless banzai charges, all traces of humanity slowly being burned away in the face of brutal attrition, ceaseless, defeaning noise, making sleep and rest nearly impossible... in one word: Hell. I can understand why many Americans developed a seething hatred for the Japanese and coming to the conclusion that turning cities to glass, rubble and ash in order to hasten the end of the war and save American lives was worth it.

[@dreademperor2094]

My great grandfather fought in Okinawa, he sadly passed away in 2015

[@erichammond9308]

Little known fact: The reason that General Buckner was chosen for overall command and not General Holland Smith, who had commanded at Saipan and Iwo Jima, was because after Saipan the Army refused to allow a single Army soldier to serve under the command of Holland Smith.

[@gregsmith1548]

In American history: Iwo Jima: let me show you this 3-D rendering of every nook and cranny of the island, with time stamps of every individual step the Marines took taking Mount Suribachi, full biographies of every officer and enlisted man in both the American and Japanese forces, diaries and personal letters written by try troops to their girlfriends back home, weather reports and pH balance of the black volcanic soil. Okinawa: *(smoking cigarette)* it was bad, man. Really, really bad.

[@clavenbostic8212]

My Grandfather faught at Okinawa.......he Saud he had to do somethings that he could never take back, I can kinda tell that, that battle changed him alot

[@evoman1776]

Well done video.

[@kearseymorton2078]

how can you produce a video like this without showing a single map of the island??? it boggles the mind!

[@mac2894]

My grandfather's destroyer was sunk by Kamikazees during this battle. USS Luce DD 522. He was severely wounded and walked with a cane for the rest of his life.

[@michael_delgado9908]

You guys should cover the battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest Naval battle ever

[@rickh9396]

Thankfully, the Japanese have completely turned away from their fanaticism and barbarity of WWII (even though they never really acknowledged or faced consequences for their actions). I only hope they can revive enough warrior spirit to help their allies deter Chinese aggression.

[@jacoblind5390]

Interesting fact- After the death of general Buckner Okinawa became the only time in US history that an entire US field Army was under the command of a marine general, general Geiger

[@h-ideas7217]

Actual records say 75+, Desmond Doss said he saved 50, his comrades and officers said 100-120, so they agreed on 75. Just imagine, being so badass that you save 100 people and only say you saved 50. Imagine a man so brave to face death an save the very souls death intended to take

[@michaelhowell2326]

Okinawa is a perfect example of why dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the right choice with the info at hand at the time.

[@CalasTyphon488]

Although I agree with the display of weapons to deter the Japanese , the traditional fire bombing of Tokyo killed a lot more civilians than the nukes did , it's not often mentioned in history texts. though.

[@michaelhowell2326]

@@CalasTyphon488 I know that but the fire bombings took so many planes to accomplish and so many bombs. The A-bombs were single ordnance delivered by a single aircraft. That is a serious psych-out.

[@CalasTyphon488]

@@michaelhowell2326 yeah agree 👍

[@billhogue9523]

My great uncle fought on Okinawa. He said it was hell on earth. During the wet weather and heat he got jungle rot and had to wear white socks the rest of his life.

[@senderoverland]

My grandma is okinawan. She survived in caves during the battle, and the trauma has lasting affects even today with some of her habits and her dementia. The japanese were horrible to the okinawan civilians. Thats why i prefer to say im okinawan instead of saying im japanese. I dont want to associate with the evils they perpetrated

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love this channel! Do Agincourt!😊😊😊😊😊

[@burkesullivan9086]

My grandpa fought in the naval battle of Okinawa.

[@Mrnewkrakbo]

That claim at the end of the video about the atomic bombing is disputed

[@andyvega2833]

A good film that portrays the brutality of this is “the pacific” hbo series. Based on memoirs of Eugene sledge and other marines. It’s almost like a horror film

[@LegendaryCollektor]

I have a picture of my great great uncle sitting on a boat waiting to invade Japan Date - August 6th 1945

[@IKofTXS]

Desmond doss had the biggest balls ever given to a peaceful man...God rest them all, brave souls the whole lot of them.

[@williamhumes7332]

He's a homophobic monster.

[@tielmaster7879]

The Pacific front was a different kind of horror.

[@itsaboutwhatsfair1532]

Love u Simon❤❤❤❤