Japan's Iwo Jima marks 75th anniversary of bloody WWII battle

February 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest fighting during World War Two, which took place on a small Japanese island. Nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines and about 21,000 Japanese defenders died in the 36-day battle on Iwo Jima. The island, located halfway between Tokyo and Guam, was regarded as a strategic outpost. Japanese troops defended the island for more than a month using a warren of tunnels and caves.

The island reverted to Japanese rule from the United States in 1968 and since then the island has been home to about 400 Japanese navy and air force personnel.