| Description: | US Marine comforts comrade on Okinawa. A US Marine attempts to comfort his battle weary companion who broke down and cried after seeing one of his close friends die fighting the Japanese on a hillside in Okinawa, the main island in the Ryukyu (Loochoo chain). From the invasion of Okinawa on March 31, 1945 through May 14, American casualties on the island totaled 20,950 including 3,781 killed and 17,004 wounded with 165 missing. During the same period, the Japanese lost 46,505 dead and 1,038 of their soldiers were taken prisoner. Bases on Okinawa would enable US Super fortresses to increase their bomb loads by one and a half tons so they could carry ten tons in attacks on Japans war potential. June 3, 1945. (41398-FMC, National Archives). |
|
Okinawa
