It is a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is five miles long. At one end is Mount Suribachi, the other Kitano Point. Due to thousands of hours of digging with hand tools, you can walk underground from one end to the other. When I assumed command of the island, I was told that going into the caves was dangerous. I discovered that many of my crew regularly explored the caves. One day Vinnie, a seaman, told me he made an incredible discovery. The next Saturday he and I went into the cave to see his discovery. The extraordinary battle for Iwo Jima, Japan took place twenty years ago. What he showed me was incredible. A section of wall had fallen and revealed a room previously undiscovered. Eight skeletons were gathered around a large wooden table with maps. Based on their boots, caps and what remained of their uniforms, they were Japanese officers. The U. S. Marines during the invasion, used flamethrowers and satchel charges to seal much of the caves.
Daniel M. White 