Alaska U.S. Sen.Dan Sullivan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, cosponsored a resolution recognizing the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, which began Feb. 19, 1945, and lasted until March 26, 1945.
“Eighty years ago, the brave Marines who stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima turned the tide of the Pacific Theater in one of the greatest displays of valor and sacrifice in our military’s history,” Sullivan said. “It is an honor to introduce this resolution with my colleagues to recognize the members of the U.S. military who fought in Iwo Jima and inspired enduring peace and allyship between the United States and Japan. The United States, and our military members in particular, has done more to liberate humankind from tyranny and oppression than literally any other force in history. Hundreds of millions of people have been liberated because of our military and our country—and Iwo Jima was a proud part of that legacy.”
Specifically, the resolution:
Honors the Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Army Air Crew, and Coast Guardsmen who fought bravely on Iwo Jima;
Remembers the brave servicemembers who lost their lives in the battle;
Commemorates the iconic and historic raising of the United States flag on Mount Suribachi that occurred on Feb. 23, 1945;
Encourages Americans to honor the veterans of Iwo Jima; and
Reaffirms the bonds of friendship and shared values that have developed between the United States and Japan over the last 80 years.
The resolution was cosponsored by Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
The Alaskan Swamp Lady didn’t surface for the occasion?
My Dad was part of the 5th Marine Division that landed on Iwo Jima. He always made sure my brothers and I knew that February 19th was a sacred day. He never talked about the battle until my nephew had him write down his story before he died. He was and will always be a hero to me.
Thank you for sharing this memory. Amazing. – sd
Three of the six marines in the photo did not survive the war. Respect to all that serve
Don Marshall was one gater marine who stormed Iwo Jima. He was one of my first friends in Alaska and he lived an amazing life. He’s long-since passed away. I’m sure his son is still alive and I wish I could reach him somehow, just to stay in touch. I used to have Don Marshall’s memoir, a hilarious and true account of his experience in the Marines and his service at Iwo Jima and Saipan, as well as all his shenanigans along the way. I’ll never forget his sword cane, which was made from a real samurai sword he looted off the body of a dead Jap. It was engraved with a quote from his book: “He swung and missed; I shot and didn’t.” It’s special to get to know the people who made history, and he was a treasure to Alaska, Oregon, and Hawaii for all the contributions he personally made to the histories of all those places. God rest that old scoundrel!
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