Nightmare on Iwo Jima - 9780817354480

Nightmare on Iwo JimaA Marine in Combat\nAuthor(s): Patrick F. Caruso, David G. Rathgeber\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: The University of Alabama Press, United States\nImprint: The University of Alabama Press\nISBN-13: 9780817354480, 978-0817354480\nSynopsis\nThis is a marine's account of the human aspects of combat. The small island of Iwo Jima lies 660 miles south of Tokyo. As US forces moved north toward the Japanese home islands in World War II, Iwo stood out as a desirable location for capture, as it would afford a much needed airbase for attacks on Japan. US military leaders underestimated the size and quality of the Japanese defense force and overestimated the effectiveness of an intense naval bombardment; artillery shells often exploded harmlessly in the island's blanket of black volcanic sand. On the morning of February 19, 1945, the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions stormed ashore from a naval support force. Among them was green young lieutenant Pat Caruso. Within hours Caruso .