Okinawa
Okinawa, an island south of Japan, has a diverse and colorful history. The native inhabitants are some of the oldest in the world; Okinawa has 34 centenarians per 100,000 people, which is more than three times the rate of the United States. The southern end of the island is filled with uplifted coral reefs and awe-inspiring limestone caves, while the northern end is made of mostly igneous rock. It has a subtropical climate that supports a dense forest in the north, and a rainy season occurs in late spring.
Okinawa and the War
During World War two, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific occurred on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa. Codenamed "Operation Iceberg," the 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June, 1945. It has been dubbed "typhoon of steel" in English, and "rain of steel" and "violent wind of steel" in Japanese. the fighting was intense, there were numerous kamikaze attacks, and the number of Allied ships and vehicles assaulting the island was incredible. Japan lost about 100,000 soldiers that were killed, captured, or committed suicide. The Allied forces had roughly 65,000 casualties of many kinds. Thousands of local civilians were killed, wounded, or committed suicide also. A couple weeks after the fighting ended, the atomic bombs deployed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced Japan to surrender. Now, at the Okinawa Prefecture Peace Park, there is the Cornerstone of Peace which names each soldier to give his life during the Battle of Okinawa. This includes 148,136 Okinawan civilians, 74,796 Imperial Japanese soldiers, 14,005 U.S. soldiers, and less people from South Korea (189), the U.K. (82), North Korea (82) and Taiwan (28).
After the battle, nearly 90% of all buildings were destroyed, and the once-tropical landscape was scarred with mud, filth, and maggots.
Some historians believe that the Battle of Okinawa was directly related to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a way of avoiding a ground attack on the Japanese forces. Victor Davis Hanson, in his book Ripples of Battle, says:
"...because the Japanese on Okinawa... were so fierce in their defense (even when cut off, and without supplies), and because casualties were so appalling, many American strategists looked for an alternative means to subdue mainland Japan, other than a direct invasion. This means presented itself, with the advent of atomic bombs, which worked admirably in convincing the Japanese to sue for peace [unconditionally], without American casualties. Ironically, the American conventional firebombing of major Japanese cities (which had been going on for months before Okinawa) was far more effective at killing civilians than the atomic bombs and, had the Americans simply continued, or expanded this, the Japanese would likely have surrendered anyway."
Currently in Okinawa, there are 32 US military bases, which takes up roughly 20% of the island's land mass. Though an agreement was made in 2012 between Japan and the United States in order to remove some of the military personnel, about 10,000 marines will remain on the island along with other US military units.
For more information, be sure to check out the History Learning Site, the Wikipedia page, or Military History Online.
After the battle, nearly 90% of all buildings were destroyed, and the once-tropical landscape was scarred with mud, filth, and maggots.
Some historians believe that the Battle of Okinawa was directly related to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a way of avoiding a ground attack on the Japanese forces. Victor Davis Hanson, in his book Ripples of Battle, says:
"...because the Japanese on Okinawa... were so fierce in their defense (even when cut off, and without supplies), and because casualties were so appalling, many American strategists looked for an alternative means to subdue mainland Japan, other than a direct invasion. This means presented itself, with the advent of atomic bombs, which worked admirably in convincing the Japanese to sue for peace [unconditionally], without American casualties. Ironically, the American conventional firebombing of major Japanese cities (which had been going on for months before Okinawa) was far more effective at killing civilians than the atomic bombs and, had the Americans simply continued, or expanded this, the Japanese would likely have surrendered anyway."
Currently in Okinawa, there are 32 US military bases, which takes up roughly 20% of the island's land mass. Though an agreement was made in 2012 between Japan and the United States in order to remove some of the military personnel, about 10,000 marines will remain on the island along with other US military units.
For more information, be sure to check out the History Learning Site, the Wikipedia page, or Military History Online.