"This target, like Tarawa, leaves very little except to take it by force of arms, character and courage"
Thus spoke the civilian Secretary of the Navy, James Vincent Forrestal, to the men of the Navy and the Marines, as he stood aboard the flagship poised for the invasion of Iwo Jima.
Last week, as the Battle for Iwo raged in fury, the nation learned what force of arms, character and courage meant. No battle of World War II, not even Normandy, was watched with more intensity by the U.S. people. Everyone knew Iwo's strategic importance, and everyone sensed that casualties would...
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