The concrete road west of Shuri castle had been smashed by shelling; eleven days of rain had turned Okinawa's red clay into hip-deep sludge. Confidently the Japanese commander moved his troops over to the east side of the castle, certain that no troops could attack his left. He underestimated the webfoot qualities of the U.S. marines.
Captain Julius D. Dusenberry's company left all armor and supply vehicles behind, shed most of its personal equipment and set out through the muck. Ascending a narrow ravine they labored 2,000 yards to the shattered walls of the castle, sliding and cursing. Only a few snipers...
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