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Iwo Jima is one of the volcano islands, part of what are known as the Ogasawara Islands. This group of islands about 670 miles south of Tokyo, Japan. Iwo Jima, in English, means "Sulphur Island." It was named this after the sulphur deposits found on the island. It lay in the middle of the flight path between the B-29 bases on the Marinas and the major targets on Japan. Damaged B-29 could use this island for emergency landings. General Curtis LeMay was quoted saying, "Without Iwo Jima I can't bomb Japan effectively."
The Battle of Iwo Jima went from February 19 to March 26, 1945. The battle took place in order to take control of Mt. Suribachi, the islands only mountain. In the 36 days of fighting, there were approximately 26,000 American casualties, and the Japanese lost 23,300 of their men. Iwo Jima was an important aspect of WWII because it effectively allowed the U.S. to bomb Japan and accelerated the pace of war.