[May 17, 2015] While we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II, there remain many opportunities to learn about the many campaigns during the war … and also about leadership. Few people today have heard of the invasion of the Ryukyu Islands, but we do know it as the Battle of Okinawa where the largest battle of the war took place. Over 60 million people lost their lives in WWII so it is incumbent upon all leaders to acknowledge and understand the lessons we can learn from them.
The Battle of Okinawa lasted from April 1 to mid-June 1945; a total of 82 days. The battle has been called the “typhoon of steel” in English and “violent wind of steel” (tetsu no bōfū, in Japanese); the nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting that was not seen elsewhere during the war. It was the bloodiest battle in the Pacific.1 With the loss of Okinawa (where Allied planes could hit mainland Japan), the atomic bombings, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, Japan later surrendered on August 15, 1945.
At the Okinawa Prefecture Peace Park are identified the names of all those killed during the battle; both military and civilian. While names are still being added, in 2010 the list had 240,931 names. Typically the army soldier bears the brunt of any battle but it were the Okinawa civilians that suffered the most with over 140,000 killed, committed suicide, died of disease, or starved. It is impossible to describe the intensity of the fighting and brutality of this battle. One source giving a close description is E.B. Sledge’s With the Old Breed (highly recommended reading).
Due to its ferocity, there were more mental health issues from the battle than any other during WWII.2 The battle still evokes controversy to this day. For example, we know that many civilians of Okinawa committed suicide because the Japanese told the locals the victorious American soldiers would go on a killing and raping rampage. While this did not happen, in 2007 a textbook had this fact deleted, causing an uproar in Okinawa (which is a part of Japan).
Today I’m honoring all Allied troops who fought so valiantly in this most important land-sea-air battle.
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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa
[2] https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/2012/11/okinawa-final-great-battle-world-war-ii
Thank you Gen. Satterfield.