Are there actual letters from Iwo Jima that we can read?

Question

I have a history assignment and I have to write a journal entry posing as one of the soldiers at Iwo Jima and I don't know what to write. Where can I find the letters actually written?

Answer 1

Did you see Clint Eastwood's latest film 'Letters from Iwo Jima"? Indeed there were and the film is based I believe on a book so maybe if you google that you might learn the title of the book and find it at the library?

Answer 2

There are still some survivors from Iwo Jima... check with the veterans association and see if you can find what nursing home they are in... BELIEVE ME... they will appreciate the chance to tell their story again and you will come away from the experience a different person.

I've known a lot of Iwo veterans... there is a ton of material about that conflict that doesn't get into the history books... like sleeping on their toes and finger tips because the shock waves from the bombs and shells made it too uncomfortable to sleep lying down.

Answer 3

Check out Flags of my Father the book (for reference) and the film (for visuals). Those will help you get perspective and an idea of what was going on, I would say to rent Letters from Iwo Jima (Fantastic movie by the way)...but that won't be released until sometime in may. But some things to get you going

The japanese plan was to inflict as much damage on the U.S. landing force as possible. General Kuribayashi knew he wouldn't be able to truely defeat the U.S. To this effect he ordered his men to kill at least ten Americans before they could allow themselves to die.

The first wave of U.S. troops that landed expected heavy fire...they got ashore without a shot being fired from the Japanese. The Japanese idea was to wait until the beaches were crowded with men and material before firing. Furthermore the island provided almost not natural cover and the volcanic ash (Mt. Suribachi is and extinct volcano afterall) made it almost impossible to dig a foxhole.

Japanese snipers and riflemen where instructed to pick out Navy Corpsmen (field medics) and take them down first.