A Navy Rabbi's Story: Iwo Jima / Iwo To

The image of the four Marines and one Navy corpsman is the first thing that comes to mind when I say the words, "Iwo Jima" now renamed Iwo To. For marines, visiting Iwo Jima (sulfur island) is a pilgrimage they all try to make and take sand from the beach. I was honored this past week, to visit this sacred place that means so much to the marines I serve.

Iwo bears the scars of perhaps the bloodiest battle in the Pacific. You can see the "pill boxes" the kilometers of tunnels, trenches that the Japanese made, planning for years of the American invasion for the airstrip on Iwo. The death toll was the greatest for such a short period of fighting, 36 days. Of the 21,000 Japanese on Iwo, only 1,000 remained while the US forces of 26,000 lost 7,000.

All of these statistics only helped me appreciate the battle that much more while humping it (hiking) with my 7 colleagues from H&S BN (Headquarters and Services Battalion). The entire island was a battlefield. When I closed my eyes, I could hear the echos of the fighting in the wind, the scars on the rock formations I hiked past, every step, a reminder of the suffering and fighting that took place.

Though we did not get to go up to Mt. Suribachi, we did have our own memorial down at the beach after everyone had the chance to collect some sand.

"Heavenly Father,
We stand together on sacred ground, walking in the footsteps of marines who came before us, whose acts of bravery and courage are hard to duplicate.

We are here because of their heroism.

On this hallowed ground, we mourn the loss of life and the need for war at all.

We remember and honor the bravery and commitment our countrymen showed in the face of their adversaries.

We are inspired by their sacrifices, honored to pick up their packs and carry on.

Semper Fidelis.

Amen. "