2025 marks 80 years since Battle of Iwo Jima

Commandant

In recognition of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Marine Corps League’s Unicoi Detachment 783 will host the annual Iwo Jima Memorial Ceremony at the Towns County Recreation and Conference Center in Young Harris.

The indoor ceremony will commence at 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 17.

This year’s keynote speaker will be U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Frank J. Lozano, Program Executive Officer Missiles and Space in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

As the Program Executive Officer, Gen. Lozano is responsible for the development, production, fielding, sustainment, and international program aspects for assigned missile and space systems. His operational and combat experience includes deployments to Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq.

All Veteran Service Organizations, as well as the public, are invited to attend the anniversary event. After the ceremony, attendees are invited to remain and enjoy cake, coffee and camaraderie.

During the engagement at Iwo Jima 80 years ago, U.S. Marines would see some of the most horrific fighting during World War II.

U.S. Expeditionary Forces would be made up of Marines from the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, led by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Harry Schmidt, along with the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, commanded by Rear Adm. Raymond A. Spruance.

In opposition were 21,060 soldiers of Imperial Japanese Army’s 109th Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, along with four anti-aircraft defense units from the Imperial Navy.

The epic battle would prove to be one of the deadliest conflicts in United States Marine Corps history, with American casualties exceeding those of the Japanese with a ratio of three American casualties for every two Japanese.

By the end of the 36-day battle, there would be approximately 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead. Among those Killed in Action was Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the Guadalcanal campaign. For his heroic actions on Iwo Jima, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

In addition, 22 Marines (12 posthumously) and five Navy sailors (two posthumously), four of whom were Hospital Corpsmen attached to Marine infantry units, were awarded the Medal of Honor.

Medals of Honor awarded for the Battle of Iwo Jima accounted for 28% of the 82 awarded to Marines during the entirety of World War II.

The mission of the Marine Corps League is to promote the interest and to preserve traditions of the United States Marine Corps; strengthen the fraternity of Marines and their families; serve Marines and FMF Navy Personnel who wear or who have worn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor; and foster the ideals of Americanism and patriotic volunteerism.

MCL Unicoi Detachment 783 is represented by veterans in Towns and Union counties.