This document summarizes key World War 2 battles between the United States and Japan in the Pacific, including the Battle of Midway which was a turning point, the brutal fighting on Iwo Jima, and the extensive casualties during the Battle of Okinawa involving kamikaze raids. It then discusses the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic weapons, the firebombing of Japanese cities, and the complexity of the decision to drop nuclear bombs, which ultimately led to Japan's surrender and ended the war.

1. JAPAN AND ENDGAME
Foothill Technology High School
Friday, April 22, 2016
A Marine dashes across a draw
nicknamed 'Death Valley‘ in the
Battle of Okinawa

2. “ISLAND HOPPPING”

3. JUNGLE WARFARE:
War Without Mercy

4. Battle of Midway
Turning Point in the Pacific

5. THE FINAL ATTACKS ON
JAPAN

6. THE FINAL ATTACKS ON
JAPAN

7. W. Eugene Smith
“Marine Mop-up Following Japanese Suicide Charge”
Saipan, 1944

8. Joe Rosenthal
Iwo Jima

9. Iwo Jima
• 20,000 Japanese
soldiers die, a few
hundred (mostly
wounded) are
captured.
– Japanese soldiers
fight to the death
to almost the last
man!
• 7,000 U.S. Marines
killed, and 13,000
wounded.
• On one alone day 5
Congressional
Medals of Honor
are awarded to
U.S. Marines of 5th
Division.

10. Easy Company take the flags up Mt. Suribachi; they had been fighting
4 days. They had 40% casualties to date.

11. The first flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi.
10AM, Feb. 23, 1945

12. The first flag comes down as the second flag goes
up. Photo by Bob Campbell.

13. This is the original photograph by Joe Rosenthal

14. Here's Rosenthal snapping a posed shot minutes after
the second flag raising.

15. Four of the Flag Raisers (Bradley, Hayes, Sousley & Strank) appear with
their jubilant buddies. Strank, Sousley and many of these boys would
soon be dead.

16. Okinawa Campaign
• 77,000 Japanese
soldiers originally
on island (20,000
Okinawa militia)...
– Approximately
70,000 dead and
7,000 surrendered.
– Some 100,000
Okinawan civilians
killed.
• 36 vessels sunk,
368 damaged,
4,900 sailors
killed, and 4,824
wounded.
– ...7,613 killed or
missing, and
31,807 wounded,
with 26,211 non-
combat casualties.
15% casualty rate!
KAMIKAZE RAIDS:
36 American vessels
sunk, 368 damaged,
4,900 sailors killed,
and 4,824 wounded!

17. JAPAN AND A BOMB
Atomic bomb explodes over Nagasaki
on August 9, 1945.

18. FIREBOMBING OF JAPAN
Break the Japanese desire to fight: end war

19. COMPLEXITY OF DECISION
Unthinkable? Immoral? Or best of bad
options to end war? Can it be both?

20. “Enola Gay” B-29 bomber drops bomb code-named
“Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS

21. BOTTOM LINE:
Japan surrenders after A bomb
Targeting of civilians from Sherman on; future use?