Okinawa, Japan. (April 1, 2025): The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific War with the Americans suffering approximately 49,000 casualties, including over 12,000 killed. In this photo by Corporal Jesse Davis, Marine Corps veteran Walter LaSota, right, and his daughter Cynthia place flowers at a monument on Sugar Loaf Hill, the scene of some of the most intense fighting. A two-time Purple Heart recipient, LaSota, 99, of Reading, Pa., was a private with I Company, 22nd Marine Regiment, 6th Marine Division.

The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was the largest amphibious invasion in the Pacific Theater that occurred between April 1 and June 22, 1945. America’s goal was to secure the island to serve as a base for a future invasion of Japan. During eighty-two days of brutal fighting, U.S. troops battled Japanese forces who were desperate to defend their homeland. They launched kamikaze attacks and fought to the last man. Japanese losses were twice stunning, over 100,000 killed. The battle also resulted in significant casualties among the civilian population of Okinawa, with estimates ranging from 40,000 to 150,000 civilians killed.

The Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill resulted in heavy Marine casualties after multiple attempts to seize it. The Japanese had fortified the hill and surrounding areas which were connected by an underground tunnel network. The Americans underestimated the enemy’s strength and their fanatical willingness to commit suicide in its defense. Besides physical wounds, thousands of troops suffered from mental fatigue during the long struggle.

The Battle of Okinawa was a costly victory for the Allies and was the beginning of the end for the Japanese.