A lot of people whining about digging on blood soaked grounds... listen, if anything, these relics set a man to thinking. I wonder what this could be? I wonder how it got here? I wonder what happened to the person carrying/using it? It makes battlefields so much more real to you, when you hold a small untold piece of the story in your hands like this. I remember the first time I found a button from a Civil War Union Artilleryman's jacket (An "Eagle A" as metal detector enthusiasts call them) and all these years later, I still look at that button and wonder who the soldier that wore it was. I bet noone else has thought of him in the last 100+ years. These artifacts help spur interest in these sorts of places, which in turn keeps the memory alive.
Yes of course. I am retired military too so the feeling that a person gets when they are there is just surreal and is hard to explain with words. So for me not doing it respectfully is just wrong all together. I thank your grandfather for his service.
Japan Treasure Hunters thank you kindly for your response. The old man turns 99! this December. Still lives alone, has a good mind and until recently, started talking about his experiences there. A living breathing window into the past. His stories about living through the depression are the best.
My uncle is about the same age even though he never fought on the ground he was a tail gunner in the B-29s and the last time I saw him he actually started talking about those air battle stories. I have to respect the courage they had to face death on a daily basis. Truly the greatest generation.
Why don’t you go instead of telling others what to and not to do..? The island is Japanese so why should they be told what to do on an island just because ur grandad fought there 80 years ago..Ridiculous comment..It’s not all about you
I went to Iwo Jima in 1988 while in the Marine Corps. I think the island was still controlled by the US at the time. We did a battle study, followed by an amphibious assault then we were taken on tours led by Coast Guardsmen stationed on the Island. Then were allowed to explore on our own. We saw lots of munitions and crates of grenades all rusted in the tunnels. There were numerous 20mm magazines for the anti-air/human guns. Then we went for a swim. I'm amazed no one was killed or seriously injured. Lots of fun, Marine style...
That ground at 8:00 reminded me of the time I was digging in a huge field. As I was digging, I heard a voice from up in the sky, "there's no treasure there, dig somewhere else". So I got up and moved and started digging again. Then the voice came back, "there's no treasure there, stop digging there." I stood up and as reverently as I could, said "Is that you Lord ?" The voice came back, "NO you idiot, I'm the football field manager !!!".
My grandfather was at Iwo for the attack and weeks after the attack. He told me he'd never go back in a million years. Said the island stunk like sulfur and the black sand was actually pulverized lava. He lost a lot of friends there, he'd tear up as he'd tell the story.
RUclipsrs! If you watch this video with some sort of feeling of indignation like he is doing something wrong, take just a minute and educate yourself. Google Battlefield excavations. In a few seconds you can read about excavations at Fredericksburg, Manassas, Waterloo, Ypres, Passchendaele...the list goes on and on and on. Battlefield excavation is what we humans do to preserve relics and educate ourselves. The Iwo Jima battlefield has been extensively excavated. What this man is doing is laudable, from a preservationist standpoint, and he honors veterans by traveling all the way there to retrieve items for future generations to study. Just the fact that we are watching this video honors the Greatest Generation by keeping their sacrifice in mind.
Yes but that's done properly by archaeologists logging and photographing everything not by using metal detectors and digging random holes everywhere then keeping the findings!
How did you even gain access to Iwo To? I was under the impression you had to had have Japanese government permission or if you are part of the US ARMED FORCES doing exercises there?
I don’t understand why people think this is disrespectful. If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. Preserve what is found and teach a new generation of people what sacrifices really are in the preservation of freedom. Freedom isn’t free. My grandfather was a marine in WWII and he would want this history preserved and his story’s told.
I was lucky enough to see Suribachi in person from a US Navy ship at the age of 20. I had no idea back then of the magnitude of what I was looking at, I wish I could do that again.
I have a style 30 Japanese bayonet brought home by my uncle from the Pacific. Seeing one as a find in your video really brought home to me the human aspects of the relic. Thanks for your video.
I was on Iwo Jima in 1995, for the 50th anniversary of the invasion. The pile of rusted Japanese rifles and the remnants of a single BAR, just outside the airfield ops building was quite impressive.
Had the pleasure of meeting three MEN that fought on that location,R.I.P. Mr Hill , Mr Hayes, and Carl was with the Army after they thought it was secure . Bonzi attack on his camp at night cost him a calf injury and some army buddies . That place was a hell for all.
I tend to believe that you are bringing these lost artifacts to life again. I don't think any soldier falls thinking "I hope no one unearths my personal effects or equipment". In a way, I believe that what you are doing is the right thing, though I find it hard to explain why. As to the potential of finding remains, well, I believe that such a find is tantamount to bringing the lost back into the fold, thus allowing for proper memorial on a more personal level. Just my thoughts. Be well, brother, and thank you for documenting your discoveries.
It’s amazing how this man got off his ass went out and found pieces of history to preserve and all of these yahoo’s who have never got up behind there television or Xbox and even attempted to do anything remotely to this have so many negative comments he never proclaimed he was any type of expert on the things he was finding or attempting to find people are so hypocritical it makes me sick!!!! GREAT VIDEO KEEP THEM COMING AND TO HELL WITH THE NEGATIVE HATERS!!!
@Red Thank you for your comment. It will appreciated. Also thank you for the views on my videos. I could post a video of rainbows and unicorns and there will always be some haters. Thank you again for your comment.
@Redkeller3512, Thanks for your awesome reply. It’s just crazy that some people bitch & complain about things that have been explained over & over & over , throughout the comments. Some bitches just like to bitch about anything!!! Before they even see and or read what’s going on. Couch snipers I call them. Great job guys, awesome video! I believe you followed all the metal detector rules that I know. And followed all of the Japanese rules! Hats off to you and much envious that I did not get to be there with you.congratulations on being allowed to even metal detect there! My wife’s grandfather just past last year & 98 years old, He was there on Dday. Been interviewed by many. Never bitched. Complained or cried. In fact in one interview he showed the gentleman his finger that got slammed in the cover of a cannon, when he was loading a shell. He said oh Sh-T god that must have hurt! What did you do?? Gramps said wrapped it up & kept loading! He said, wow so you got a Purple Heart? He chuckles & said no!, I don’t want No Purple Heart! Didn’t you get that finger fixed???? He said I told you I wrapped it up and kept going. Just gotta keep going. Can’t stop and cry. Save that for later. Awesome brave hard working American man. Serving his country. He joined at 17 and took his first train ride from the Ozark mountains, to San Diego. Boot camp then to Iwo Jima. I couldn’t even imagine. Much respect to Mr. Howard Frye!!! One incredible brave man. We sure miss you!!! After he returned home. He married the girl that waited for him to come home. Now the are finally together forever. Missing Howard Frye!
My stepdad, James George Hutchison was with the 4th Marines, Company B Tanks. He was on the island on the second day. Had to wait for his tank to be put ashore. As far as we know he was the last person of his outfit to pass away. A couple three years ago.
The item you found near the entrance to the last stand cave at 5:40 (you thought was a projectile) looks like the metal end of a short wooden flag pole. The Japanese burn their flags (colors) when they are at the end, so they are not captured by the enemy. That item if I'm correct, is probably very important find!!!
My High School Psych teacher in the 1970’s was on the second wave at Iwo and had some stories - how he found himself running back toward the landing craft for a medic after seeing the guys in front of him get shot down - and in the aftermath wondering why they built a black wall on the beach and then realizing it was a long stack of full body bags.
So I've done lots of metal detection work for the National Park Services Americsn Battlefield Protection Program and have taken several Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist certifications. I don't condem at all what you are doing if it is sanctioned by the authority's and you give the items to a museum but please tell me you record the locations of where you find these objects in some detailed way. The artifact itself is important but if you don't record it's provenience the context of the object is lost and then becomes just another object and is much harder to place into context within the Archaeological record. Please please record the location of your finds on a GPS.
Did you see the pile of helmets and firearms just left laying around? Im sure that had they been worried everything would have been collected and preserved.
And it sure was awfully nice seeing all those empty water bottles & other miscellaneous modern refuse lying there among the previously excavated, & haphazardly left, helmets & firearms.
With all due respect, anyone searching a battlefield should spend a long time looking at military manuals and photos so that you know what you are looking at and do not get killed. Your "Rocket shell" was a shell casing from a 75mm gun.
Don't let all the negative comments get you down. Do these people not understand that visits to that island are highly regulated by the Japanese government? He wasn't able to just walk around and dig anywhere. They most likely told him where he could go and what equipment he was allowed to use. 100% sure there was Japanese officials somewhere behind the camera keeping a close eye to what was going on. I see 0 issues with this and no disrespect to the fallen soldiers that died there. Great video!
Thank you for your comment. Well appreciated. There is a lot of comments I don't post that are just amazingly rude. You are correct, they did tell me where to go and what I could use and there was someone right there watching everything. Thank you again and have a great day.
Don't listen to the negative comments, most detectorists would jump at the chance to hunt there. Hunting for relics is far better than searching for the enemy! My grandpa fought there, and was proud to serve his country.
So sad to think of all those that died there. It is nice to see the island all green and peaceful. Must be amazing to go to places like that and find relics from the past.
@McGruff, thank you for your comment. It is a surreal feeling just landing on the island. I am lucky because my work takes me there. That is the treasure in Japan Treasure Hunters, not necessarily finding of artifacts or coins but just being at places like that. Thank you again for your comment and have a great day.
Dont listen to the negative comments. Better to find these and put them in the museum for future generations than to let them decay into nothing as time goes on.
I'm a new subscriber. Loved the video. Iwo Jima is OUR Heritage, if you are a Marine. I served from 5 Oct 73 to 4 Oct 77. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sgt...OUT
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Sir, it was an Honor to serve. I'm 64 yrs old. I can't run fast, stand long, lift much weigh; BUT I'm a West Virginian; I can still shoot a rifle (M-16A1) and hit the Bulls Eye. Sometimes I can hit (what we use to call) the 5V absolute center. I'm ready to sign a 4 yr USMC contract. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sgt...OUT
Battlefields have considerable unexploded ordnance including gas and therefore should first be subject to a full EOD survey before anyone sets foot/fingers in that site. I was a teenager in Metz France for five years and am very familiar from first hand experience of the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian War, the First World War and the Second World War including the underground fortifications of the French Maginot Line and the German Seigfrieg Line and connecting tunnel complexes, canals, rivers and railway lines. I have encountered every type of ordnance, weapons and other war artifacts and documents and bombed out, collapsing or deteriorated infrastructures and buildings and highly recommend that the first order of inspection be a full non-intrusive EOD survey.
The US military had control of the island until the 70's and they have done a lot of surveying and archeological digs long before I got there. Thank you for your advice.
Does anyone here know what those large cannons were that the Japanese were using to shoot at the ships with? I know they had an extensive range like the 88mm cannons the germans used.
To visit a Fresh Battlefield without any concern using a mine detector or metal detector thanks should be left alone it's my belief my perception that you're doing nothing but disturbing a grave that should be left alone and it is obvious that you're looking for souvenirs because it's all cool to you really cool I do not support your actions or anybody else regardless of where it's at that disturbs Graves
Again, this is not a fresh battlefield. It has been thoroughly excavated long before I got there. When the US gave the island back to Japan in the 70's they were told to remove all the dead. So other than memorials and shrines, which I stayed clear of, there is no graveyards to disturb. AGAIN, nothing I found left the island, it was given to the museum.
Seeing those big guns standing is amazing. Really makes you wonder the amount of rounds they fired in anger- Or the battle that took place to take them from the Japanese. One could only imagine the loss and suffering around those big guns too from counter battery and the will of the gun crews to keep them firing. The long elongated shell you found could be an APDS round from a Sherman possibly- tried to do some research. That or a Japanese 47mm AP round but who knows! Great finds and footage
GreatestGulag that isn’t a “shell”. It’s a casing; an artillery round comes in 2 parts. The base part (what he found) has the propellant knit - that protrusion coming from the base carries the “spark” to ignite the propellant. The actual artillery round is located above the casing and is the only part that is fired. I would suggest doing a LOT of homework before you make more inane, asinine comments on your videos.
Hi, I was just wondering if this is allowed for other people? I read the description and understand you are giving these to a museum, but would you be allowed to take stuff from the last stand cave that have already been found, like that MG or a helmet?
Thank you for your question. There are a couple of rules at Iwo Jima and the number #1 rule is that nothing leaves the island except for sand. Besides, I feel those items were not meant to be kept. If it was up to me, even the items intentionally left should be in the museum.
Thank you for sharing. The place looks so different from the old black and white film news reels. My late grandfather fought in the Pacific campaign. He was in the Army Infantry, so he was not at Iwo but I do understand from my Grandmother he fought at the Philippines and other islands. He never spoke one thing about the war with us grand children. My grandmother said something that stood out in my memory. She said the man she married prior to the war was not the same man who returned. I would love to read his service record book but have no idea if that would be available to me or how to get it now that both of my grandparents have passed away.
Thank you for your comment and I thank him for his service. Try the Army website and look for service records. Since you are family you can request a copy. Have a great day.
Rick...good question. Iwo Jima belongs to the Japanese and I had to obey their policies, such as the items I found were given to them, they decided what to do with them. Nothing could leave the island and I could only detect in areas that were already surveyed and had archeologists come in and remove anything of importance.
the items you found with GREEN ..that is a clear sign of brass/copper content. I thin you did really well in searching what is basically 60 year old relics
My dad was there and brought back two rifles, bayonet, officers sword and pistol, grenade, and two flags, took a bullet and shrapnel from a nighttime banzai attack..I still have the sword, flags, and grenade..maybe I’ll take them back to Japan 🕊
That big heavy pie e of metal found is possibly from 16 inch gun from a battleship or destroyer....both were used in the naval bombardment before the Marines went ashore...
Robot Bjorn they were 12 inches....my grandpa was on the USS INDIANAPOLIS...my point, smartass is it's too hard to tell from a 12 or 16 inch gun from just a piece of shrapnel....you'd have to find ALL of the shrapnel to know for sure...I spent 23 years in the military myself....anything else you wanna add?? I've been to Iwo Jima in 1992 when we gave control of the island back to Japan....have you been there???
David Sherbert Sure. Lots I can add. USS Indianapolis was not a destroyer. 12" guns were also never fitted to destroyers or to the Indianapolis. Control of Iwo Jima was handed back to Japan in 1968, not 1992. I'm sure you kept the toilets at your local Salvation Army spotless for the 23 years you cleaned them, sir.
I see shell casings, grenade detonators and the clip thing looks like an officers sword attachment. It makes sense to find grenade artefacts as often it was the final act of the Japanese to commit suicide rather than be taken captive. It certainly happened here according to records. Another interesting video, thank you.
Japan Treasure Hunters you’ll always have haters my friend. Part and parcel of RUclips. Keep at it and ignore them. Subscribed and wishing you all the best. Look forward to more content 👍🏼👍🏼 be safe 👊🏼
Maybe this is a dumb question but why exactly would you go relic hunting and kept beat up shells but the leave multiple helmets and a machine gun just rotting away in the cave entrance? Just me maybe?
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 thanks for the reply! Gotcha im surprised they are just letting the stuff rot away without conserving it first! I have seen relic hunting videos from there before and seems everyone sends what they find to the island museums! Great video thanks!
The little thing that could be a shell is a fuse, likely from a hand grenade. The big hunk of iron is likely from a 12" or 16" shell delivered from a battleship or heavy cruiser.
Iwo jima is the #1 most hallowed ground for all marines.You just don't understand what it means to them.Just being allowed to walk on the ground there is an incredibly rare and special thing,that not just anyone should be allowed to do.The ground there is definitely best left untouched.This isn't just any battlefield,it is the absolute pinnacle,the highest regarded battlefield in the entire world!Absolutely sacred ground equal to if not higher regarded than gettysburg.
Thank you for your comment. I do know and understand that the island is important and it means a lot to Marines. But the island is no longer an American Island, It is Japanese and really it is a reminder to them that they lost. What I am doing is not for me because I do not keep anything from the island. As it states in the description and at the end of the video, I left everything for the museum. Soon there is not going to be any veterans from the war but what I found and gave to the museum will be there for as long as the museum. I am preserving the Marines history on the island.
Paul thank you for all the comments. It is a surreal feeling just landing on the island. The videos could have been better, they were my first ones, but I tried to be as respectful as I could while making then. I will be going back in next so please stay tuned for those videos.
How come there is so much hate comment here saying he's "grave robbing", but the same people don't have the same outburst of anger when others go to the Ardennes forest or parts of Germany and France. Everything went to the museum and it was all done in respect.
chavo When you you go to ww1-2 sites in France you are not allowed metal detectors unless you have permission and when you find bones you have to contact authorities. These guys are on an island and no authorities and no graves and should be a total ban
Chavo, thank you for your response. I appreciate it very much. Most people don't read the description or the responses or actually watch the videos all the way through. Have. a great day.
Iwo looks so different now...green and peaceful...whereas during WWII it looked so barren as the plant life must have been blasted away. Speaking of which, using a metal detector and digging, isn't there a real risk of encountering unexploded ordnance?
@John that is why I was staying on the main paths and areas. The Marines and Coast Guard was there until 1968 when the states gave it back to Japan. I am sure that was one of their jobs then was to look for unexploded ordinance. Thank you for your comment.
Theoretically there is always a risk in ww2 battlefields. The ratio of rounds and bombs that failed to detonate is something like 1 in 5. If you do find one you could be dealing with a something that could detonate just from you pulling it from the ground. The likelihood that ths will happen slim to none but the chance is there. Over in germany we encounter uxo a lot, its not scary, except the big stuff or when you have no clue what it is. Hand grenades, mortar rounds and incindiary bombs are by far the most common we see with the exception of small arms ammunition, mainly 8mm mauser, 20mm flak, 15mm and 30 mm air rounds are found alot near airfields. 30.06 is common but normally only the brass case. 50. Cal is less common but still often found. The biggest round ive seen is an american 155mm round. Which easily could've turned the five of us to pink mist
That big chunk of iron is probably shrapnel from naval gunfire, most likely a battleship or heavy cruiser firing on the gun emplacement near which you found it.
I knew a marine who landed on Iwo the 2nd day of the invasion. He told me treasure hunting in a cave cost a Marine his life when mistaken for a Japanese soldier by another Marine in the dark.
I asked about metal detecting in Okinawa. The Japanese gov. does not care about what is buried and if it is someone's remains, they would be more than happy if the (remains) were returned to their families. In that light, you would be doing the Japanese a service. After the battles on these islands, groups of American soldiers were sent around the island to pick up any arms and munitions they could find. So, it's not surprising there in not a lot but fragments. As far as the Americans who fought there (my uncle saw them raise the flag on Suribachi) I seriously don't think they care one way or another- matter of fact, they fought so that you could go metal detecting there-freedom.
I was stationed on Okinawa with my family for almost 5 years. Some areas were off limits while most we ok to look for stuff. I have coffee cans full from the early 1980s.
When I am out there it is for work. The metal detecting and touring the island is something I do when I am off for the day. Thank you for your comment.
I was speaking to a Japanese person who is a descendant of a soldier who perished in the defense of Iwo Jima. We viewed your video together. Her grandfather's remains are 'lost' somewhere on the island. She found this video disturbing/unsettling. Regardless of where your artifacts go (either to a museum or a personal collection), she says that the battlefield is sacred ground - the resting place for thousands of souls, and should be left undisturbed. Its just a difference of perspective I suppose but worthy of some respect and consideration? It may be justified in an American visitor's mind by ceding the unearthed artifacts to a museum but there maybe some merit in considering the viewpoint of the other? What may be viewed as a harmless treasure hunt can end up being seen as defiling a grave site. She said that the ground that you're digging up was once soaked in blood, and that an epic struggle took place there. The projectiles, ordinance, and even buckles and metal clasps were likely handled or used by the deceased. I don't know... maybe a video of the existing artifacts displayed in the museum might be better than footage of people tearing into the soil of a mass graveyard? I hope you don't mind me sharing an alternate perspective on your passtime. peace to you!
When looked at from your point of view every inch of the Earth is a mass graveyard. We'd never learn anything new. Another way to look at it is he is cleaning the Island of the residue of war. A bunch of curious junk and scrap metal that doesn't belong there.
You are welcome, Japan Treasure Hunters. I'm glad that there is space here to have a respectful dialogue about your hobby, and specifically about metal detecting on Iwo Jima. For every person who can justify this activity, there will be a few who oppose it. Should the question about whether you should dig on Iwo Jima be about whose viewpoint and rationale to do so makes more sense? Or should the respect for, or the wishes of those who hold an alternate view/emotion about it be genuinely considered? For those - like my Japanese friend who had a visceral reaction to your video, she doesn't really care about the battlefields of Feudal era Japan, or the need for you and many others to "keep history alive", or whether the entire island had been been previously scoured by archeologists; all that matters to her is that her grandfather's remains are scattered somewhere on Iwo Jima and that this graveyard be left alone. It is sacred ground, period. She has nothing against you personally. Rather a simple wish for the ground to be left alone and her ancestors be respected. Should the wishes of those who have a significant tie to that soil be heeded? The issue reminds me of opposing views that exist about Indian lands back in the US. The government cuts a deal with corporations to build the keystone pipeline and run sections over Indian/indigenous soil. A vast number (of non-Indians) praise it and think about how the economy will benefit from the project, and a long list of benefits is drawn up and publicized. And then many of us roll our eyes and scorn the Natives who appear on the evening news- angry with protest accompanied with beating drums. The Indians keep talking about their opposition of the pipeline running through their ancestral graves. And yes, there are a few Indians who side with the rationale put forward by the government in support of the project. I'm not a metal detective but I hope that you and your colleagues will consider the feelings and viewpoints that run counter to yours. Have a great day!
Tourists are not allowed on Iwo To. If he's there with a metal detector it is with express consent of the Japanese government. I've been there. I've found tons of artifacts and everything found is either set aside or turned over. Everything I found was laying right on the surface. When artifacts are found near the waterline they are picked up and set back away from the water.
First object is not a "rocket shell". More than likely 75MM tank round casing. Very doubtful the cone is a projectile. Shrapnel certainly did not come from the size of that casing. Likely a piece from a 16" projectile.
My step grandfather fought there as well with the Marines. Iwo Jima was his 2nd major battle with the Marines. I will never forget visiting the beach in 1977 with him and my grandmother when I was 10, just before the 4th of July, and someone had set off several M80's or something big, and later seeing Marvin sitting on a driftwood log outside of our motel room deck, shaking and chain-smoking. I can't imagine what he saw or experienced there.
i feel like you would have had way better luck if you walked of the beaten track that place was blown to absoulte bits the trees and plants would have overgrown some of the real fighting positions that maybe were forgotton about . its freshly mown grass so people would be there a bit id assume
Ed...that is a great point. Two things, I was told I could detect on only areas that were excavated or maintained and going off the path and into the overgrowth would have been awesome and I really wanted to do that but I also had to think of the UXOs and the people who were with me. Thanks for your comment and view. It is well appreciated.
My luck with a metal detector was always junk. Nails, screws and pop tops. My nephew actaully found a buried pay phone. Number, please. 😄 Where you are, everything you find is a treasure.
@Cooper my work allows me to go there about once a year. Otherwise you have to be in the military and go there for training or have to go for the Invasion Day Ceremony. Again with that you have to either be an Iwo Veteran for either side or military conducting the ceremony.
It is open one day a year, this year(2019) it is March 23rd. I plan to be there with my 96 year old, Iwo Jima veteran father. There are at least two organizations running tours, ranging from 5-15K.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, unless you are American Military, Japanese Military or someone that has work out there, the chances are very slim to get out there. Again thanks for your comment.
You are not the first to ask but the place has been pretty well excavated. I am sure there still some in the areas off the beaten path. That is the reason I stayed in the areas already excavated.
@Michael, thank you for your comment. My apologies if this video comes across as such. Since that was day two, I had already did a little detecting the day before. Detecting was not my first priority here, I had to come for work. However, these are the first videos I made so they do need a lot more work. I have made another montage video of Iwo Jima and as we speak I am on Iwo and in a couple of weeks, I will post a couple more with more video, pictures and descriptions of the island. I thank your father for his service. Have a great day.
The detecting and discovery of previously lost artifacts is a huge piece of the historical/archeological puzzle. It gives us incredible insights into the battle that was waged and the men who traveled halfway around the world to make war on a tiny piece of land that no one had ever heard of before. My father also fought and was wounded on this particular battlefield. It was something that he talked about rarely and with little detail. He took the majority of those experiences with him to the grave. I know it was a terrible thing for a teenager from the Ohio farmlands to live through. I am deeply grateful to anyone who takes the time to gather and catalog the evidence from this battlefield. I hope that someday my kids or grandkids can have a better idea of what their grandfather faced and sacrificed in the hopes that they might have a better life.
Most of the water bottle are offering for the little shrines that are in or on the outside of the caves. Water bottle are left because at the time, the Japanese ran low on water and almost all the soldiers were dehydrated. There are some sake bottles too. Thank you for your comment.
I’m a new subscriber I enjoy your hunts, your song nothing wrong especially with the fact that your giving it to the museum, keeping history alive, you could find a item that potentially belonged to someone’s great grandfather who fought in the war, keep it up bro
Thanks for the comment. That would be amazing if I could find something like that and return it to a family member. Right now I am working on returning a bronze star to a Vietnam Veteran's family. Thanks again for the great comment.
And for those of you who do not know it has never been established as a grave site do any of you realize how much of this world has had dead bodies at one tie or another on it and yet they build roads subdivisions on top of Indian burial grounds and I don’t hear any of you complaining about that type of actions hypocrites plain and simple and I don’t believe he was stealing anything one more thing how do you all expect history to be understood and told without evidence relics artifacts!!!??
First and foremost I want to say that I received permission to detect and what I found I gave to the museum on Iwo To (Jima). Nothing left the island. Treasure means different things to different people. To me, just having the opportunity to do detect here was the treasure.
Please tell me that you didn’t dig holes and didn’t walk away without refilling them. If you did, that would be a cardinal sin in metal detecting, and the true sign of a rookie that only cares about he can find for himself.
Always take care of the area you detect. Also take all trash out with you and don’t re bury it. He did everything correct when I watched the video. Don’t know what you were watching. Have another drink.
For a great tour of Iwo Jima check out this video: ruclips.net/video/ofSF463vpCQ/видео.html
Jc
Of all the places I've been around the globe, There are two place to which I would return...Iwo Jima is one, Wake is the other.
A lot of people whining about digging on blood soaked grounds... listen, if anything, these relics set a man to thinking. I wonder what this could be? I wonder how it got here? I wonder what happened to the person carrying/using it? It makes battlefields so much more real to you, when you hold a small untold piece of the story in your hands like this. I remember the first time I found a button from a Civil War Union Artilleryman's jacket (An "Eagle A" as metal detector enthusiasts call them) and all these years later, I still look at that button and wonder who the soldier that wore it was. I bet noone else has thought of him in the last 100+ years. These artifacts help spur interest in these sorts of places, which in turn keeps the memory alive.
Yah I would love to explore these islands and find stuff from the war. Hardcore history.
Totally agree
Very well put.
My grandfather fought there. I hope you’re showing the utmost respect for all concerned (both sides) while you’re there.
Yes of course. I am retired military too so the feeling that a person gets when they are there is just surreal and is hard to explain with words. So for me not doing it respectfully is just wrong all together. I thank your grandfather for his service.
Japan Treasure Hunters thank you kindly for your response. The old man turns 99! this December. Still lives alone, has a good mind and until recently, started talking about his experiences there. A living breathing window into the past. His stories about living through the depression are the best.
My uncle is about the same age even though he never fought on the ground he was a tail gunner in the B-29s and the last time I saw him he actually started talking about those air battle stories. I have to respect the courage they had to face death on a daily basis. Truly the greatest generation.
Why don’t you go instead of telling others what to and not to do..? The island is Japanese so why should they be told what to do on an island just because ur grandad fought there 80 years ago..Ridiculous comment..It’s not all about you
I went to Iwo Jima in 1988 while in the Marine Corps. I think the island was still controlled by the US at the time. We did a battle study, followed by an amphibious assault then we were taken on tours led by Coast Guardsmen stationed on the Island. Then were allowed to explore on our own. We saw lots of munitions and crates of grenades all rusted in the tunnels. There were numerous 20mm magazines for the anti-air/human guns. Then we went for a swim. I'm amazed no one was killed or seriously injured. Lots of fun, Marine style...
That ground at 8:00 reminded me of the time I was digging in a huge field. As I was digging, I heard a voice from up in the sky, "there's no treasure there, dig somewhere else". So I got up and moved and started digging again. Then the voice came back, "there's no treasure there, stop digging there." I stood up and as reverently as I could, said "Is that you Lord ?" The voice came back, "NO you idiot, I'm the football field manager !!!".
My grandfather was at Iwo for the attack and weeks after the attack. He told me he'd never go back in a million years. Said the island stunk like sulfur and the black sand was actually pulverized lava. He lost a lot of friends there, he'd tear up as he'd tell the story.
RUclipsrs! If you watch this video with some sort of feeling of indignation like he is doing something wrong, take just a minute and educate yourself. Google Battlefield excavations. In a few seconds you can read about excavations at Fredericksburg, Manassas, Waterloo, Ypres, Passchendaele...the list goes on and on and on. Battlefield excavation is what we humans do to preserve relics and educate ourselves. The Iwo Jima battlefield has been extensively excavated. What this man is doing is laudable, from a preservationist standpoint, and he honors veterans by traveling all the way there to retrieve items for future generations to study. Just the fact that we are watching this video honors the Greatest Generation by keeping their sacrifice in mind.
Yes but that's done properly by archaeologists logging and photographing everything not by using metal detectors and digging random holes everywhere then keeping the findings!
How did you even gain access to Iwo To? I was under the impression you had to had have Japanese government permission or if you are part of the US ARMED FORCES doing exercises there?
That placed was shelled and bombed so heavily it is amazing that you were not frustrated by constant metal hits from the shrapnel.
@Recoil it was very frustrating but with that bing said, it was truly an honor just to be out there. Thank you for your comment.
I don’t understand why people think this is disrespectful. If we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. Preserve what is found and teach a new generation of people what sacrifices really are in the preservation of freedom. Freedom isn’t free. My grandfather was a marine in WWII and he would want this history preserved and his story’s told.
I was lucky enough to see Suribachi in person from a US Navy ship at the age of 20. I had no idea back then of the magnitude of what I was looking at, I wish I could do that again.
I have a style 30 Japanese bayonet brought home by my uncle from the Pacific. Seeing one as a find in your video really brought home to me the human aspects of the relic. Thanks for your video.
I was on Iwo Jima in 1995, for the 50th anniversary of the invasion. The pile of rusted Japanese rifles and the remnants of a single BAR, just outside the airfield ops building was quite impressive.
Thank you for your respectful act and preserve many relics. As you digging up relics, spirits of fallen soldiers will liberate from darkness.
I believe the casing was a 105 mm artillery casing.
That is exactly what I was thinking. I was in field artillery and shot the 105mm howitzer. I totally agree.
I believe the hollow cone shaped find is actually the 'cap' part of a flag, good find.
Ha exactly what I thought✌
I was thinking the butt spike for sticking in the ground.
Had the pleasure of meeting three MEN that fought on that location,R.I.P. Mr Hill , Mr Hayes, and Carl was with the Army after they thought it was secure . Bonzi attack on his camp at night cost him a calf injury and some army buddies . That place was a hell for all.
For those of you that find this Disturbing I cant fathom why..He is keeping history alive.
8:50 Would think if that big chunk is shrapnel would have to come from a battleship shell or similar during the huge pre-invasion bombardment.
I tend to believe that you are bringing these lost artifacts to life again. I don't think any soldier falls thinking "I hope no one unearths my personal effects or equipment". In a way, I believe that what you are doing is the right thing, though I find it hard to explain why. As to the potential of finding remains, well, I believe that such a find is tantamount to bringing the lost back into the fold, thus allowing for proper memorial on a more personal level. Just my thoughts. Be well, brother, and thank you for documenting your discoveries.
Thank you for your comment. Well appreciated.
Ahhh, this is a great find, BOOM!
It’s amazing how this man got off his ass went out and found pieces of history to preserve and all of these yahoo’s who have never got up behind there television or Xbox and even attempted to do anything remotely to this have so many negative comments he never proclaimed he was any type of expert on the things he was finding or attempting to find people are so hypocritical it makes me sick!!!! GREAT VIDEO KEEP THEM COMING AND TO HELL WITH THE NEGATIVE HATERS!!!
@Red Thank you for your comment. It will appreciated. Also thank you for the views on my videos. I could post a video of rainbows and unicorns and there will always be some haters. Thank you again for your comment.
@Redkeller3512, Thanks for your awesome reply. It’s just crazy that some people bitch & complain about things that have been explained over & over & over , throughout the comments. Some bitches just like to bitch about anything!!! Before they even see and or read what’s going on. Couch snipers I call them.
Great job guys, awesome video! I believe you followed all the metal detector rules that I know. And followed all of the Japanese rules! Hats off to you and much envious that I did not get to be there with you.congratulations on being allowed to even metal detect there!
My wife’s grandfather just past last year & 98 years old, He was there on Dday. Been interviewed by many. Never bitched. Complained or cried. In fact in one interview he showed the gentleman his finger that got slammed in the cover of a cannon, when he was loading a shell. He said oh Sh-T god that must have hurt! What did you do??
Gramps said wrapped it up & kept loading! He said, wow so you got a Purple Heart? He chuckles & said no!, I don’t want No Purple Heart! Didn’t you get that finger fixed???? He said I told you I wrapped it up and kept going. Just gotta keep going. Can’t stop and cry. Save that for later.
Awesome brave hard working American man. Serving his country. He joined at 17 and took his first train ride from the Ozark mountains, to San Diego. Boot camp then to Iwo Jima. I couldn’t even imagine. Much respect to Mr. Howard Frye!!! One incredible brave man.
We sure miss you!!!
After he returned home.
He married the girl that waited for him to come home. Now the are finally together forever.
Missing Howard Frye!
My stepdad, James George Hutchison was with the 4th Marines, Company B Tanks. He was on the island on the second day. Had to wait for his tank to be put ashore. As far as we know he was the last person of his outfit to pass away. A couple three years ago.
Thank you for your story. I appreciate you taking the time to write. I thank him for his service.
I'm jealous. Looks like a great adventure. Good job!
So much negativity, but this is a great series of videos. A brief dissection of a place completely frozen in time since 1945. Thanks for sharing.
The item you found near the entrance to the last stand cave at 5:40 (you thought was a projectile) looks like the metal end of a short wooden flag pole. The Japanese burn their flags (colors) when they are at the end, so they are not captured by the enemy.
That item if I'm correct, is probably very important find!!!
I’m your own way you are keeping that piece of history alive.
My High School Psych teacher in the 1970’s was on the second wave at Iwo and had some stories - how he found himself running back toward the landing craft for a medic after seeing the guys in front of him get shot down - and in the aftermath wondering why they built a black wall on the beach and then realizing it was a long stack of full body bags.
So I've done lots of metal detection work for the National Park Services Americsn Battlefield Protection Program and have taken several Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist certifications. I don't condem at all what you are doing if it is sanctioned by the authority's and you give the items to a museum but please tell me you record the locations of where you find these objects in some detailed way. The artifact itself is important but if you don't record it's provenience the context of the object is lost and then becomes just another object and is much harder to place into context within the Archaeological record. Please please record the location of your finds on a GPS.
Did you see the pile of helmets and firearms just left laying around? Im sure that had they been worried everything would have been collected and preserved.
And it sure was awfully nice seeing all those empty water bottles & other miscellaneous modern refuse lying there among the previously excavated, & haphazardly left, helmets & firearms.
very interesting, my Dad was a medic there, Thank you for posting
With all due respect, anyone searching a battlefield should spend a long time looking at military manuals and photos so that you know what you are looking at and do not get killed.
Your "Rocket shell" was a shell casing from a 75mm gun.
Don't let all the negative comments get you down. Do these people not understand that visits to that island are highly regulated by the Japanese government? He wasn't able to just walk around and dig anywhere. They most likely told him where he could go and what equipment he was allowed to use. 100% sure there was Japanese officials somewhere behind the camera keeping a close eye to what was going on. I see 0 issues with this and no disrespect to the fallen soldiers that died there. Great video!
Thank you for your comment. Well appreciated. There is a lot of comments I don't post that are just amazingly rude. You are correct, they did tell me where to go and what I could use and there was someone right there watching everything. Thank you again and have a great day.
“Not sure what it is.” BOOM!!!
I kept thinking... Um not sure what it is... Lol
I kept thinking... Um not sure what it is... Lol
Your so lucky to roam that island
Don't listen to the negative comments, most detectorists would jump at the chance to hunt there. Hunting for relics is far better than searching for the enemy! My grandpa fought there, and was proud to serve his country.
Thank you for your comment. It is well appreciated.
Jeremy Nolden Wonder if he’d be happy about this guy digging up the remains of his fallen comrades to retrieve some bullet casings. Ask him.
My grampa did too
So sad to think of all those that died there. It is nice to see the island all green and peaceful. Must be amazing to go to places like that and find relics from the past.
@McGruff, thank you for your comment. It is a surreal feeling just landing on the island. I am lucky because my work takes me there. That is the treasure in Japan Treasure Hunters, not necessarily finding of artifacts or coins but just being at places like that. Thank you again for your comment and have a great day.
You should go metal detecting through the bushes instead of the open field!
My uncle found a leather coin purse with 7 gold teeth. Someone’s trophy bag.
Dont listen to the negative comments. Better to find these and put them in the museum for future generations than to let them decay into nothing as time goes on.
The "projectile" looks to be a flash hider of an MG possible
I'm a new subscriber. Loved the video. Iwo Jima is OUR Heritage, if you are a Marine. I served from 5 Oct 73 to 4 Oct 77. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sgt...OUT
@MGPB thank you for subscribing. I am happy that you enjoyed the videos enough to sub. Thank you for your service.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Sir, it was an Honor to serve. I'm 64 yrs old. I can't run fast, stand long, lift much weigh; BUT I'm a West Virginian; I can still shoot a rifle (M-16A1) and hit the Bulls Eye. Sometimes I can hit (what we use to call) the 5V absolute center. I'm ready to sign a 4 yr USMC contract. Semper Fi from an old Marine Sgt...OUT
Aweome hunt guys, what a stunning location!
MDC...thank you for your view and comment. That was one of my first videos I made so I apologize for the quality. Thank you again for watching.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 was a good watch matey!
Battlefields have considerable unexploded ordnance including gas and therefore should first be subject to a full EOD survey before anyone sets foot/fingers in that site. I was a teenager in Metz France for five years and am very familiar from first hand experience of the battlefields of the Franco-Prussian War, the First World War and the Second World War including the underground fortifications of the French Maginot Line and the German Seigfrieg Line and connecting tunnel complexes, canals, rivers and railway lines. I have encountered every type of ordnance, weapons and other war artifacts and documents and bombed out, collapsing or deteriorated infrastructures and buildings and highly recommend that the first order of inspection be a full non-intrusive EOD survey.
The US military had control of the island until the 70's and they have done a lot of surveying and archeological digs long before I got there. Thank you for your advice.
Does anyone here know what those large cannons were that the Japanese were using to shoot at the ships with? I know they had an extensive range like the 88mm cannons the germans used.
10:05 Maybe it's what's left of a 16" battleship shell
I love seeing the former combatants from both sides returning to Iwo Jima and embracing each other. Soldiers who were just soldiers for their country.
To visit a Fresh Battlefield without any concern using a mine detector or metal detector thanks should be left alone it's my belief my perception that you're doing nothing but disturbing a grave that should be left alone and it is obvious that you're looking for souvenirs because it's all cool to you really cool I do not support your actions or anybody else regardless of where it's at that disturbs Graves
Again, this is not a fresh battlefield. It has been thoroughly excavated long before I got there. When the US gave the island back to Japan in the 70's they were told to remove all the dead. So other than memorials and shrines, which I stayed clear of, there is no graveyards to disturb. AGAIN, nothing I found left the island, it was given to the museum.
Seeing those big guns standing is amazing. Really makes you wonder the amount of rounds they fired in anger- Or the battle that took place to take them from the Japanese. One could only imagine the loss and suffering around those big guns too from counter battery and the will of the gun crews to keep them firing. The long elongated shell you found could be an APDS round from a Sherman possibly- tried to do some research. That or a Japanese 47mm AP round but who knows! Great finds and footage
considering the pounding the island took before the marines went ashore, i would assume you would spend a huge amount of time just digging shrapnel.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, the detector was extremely busy. I did find a lot of shrapnel but just didn't show it.
The first big tube you found was probably a mortar tube, since there was a large pointed peice at the bottom.
That's the primer booster insert that ignites the main powder charge of the shell casing. Definitely arty, not mortar.
GreatestGulag that isn’t a “shell”. It’s a casing; an artillery round comes in 2 parts. The base part (what he found) has the propellant knit - that protrusion coming from the base carries the “spark” to ignite the propellant. The actual artillery round is located above the casing and is the only part that is fired. I would suggest doing a LOT of homework before you make more inane, asinine comments on your videos.
Shell fragments have got to drive you crazy in a place like that.
Any concern about detecting and digging an old land mine and not knowing it?
Not really. I only had time to detecting in areas that were already excavated.
you'd likely only do that once... ;-)
The sheer level of hostility and incompetence in the comments section is baffling. Solid vid regardless
So you got a big shell frag. A 75mm case from a u.s. pack howitzer that small thing from the cave is a fuse from a type 99 handgrenade.
Thank you for your insight. It is well appreciated.
Hi, I was just wondering if this is allowed for other people? I read the description and understand you are giving these to a museum, but would you be allowed to take stuff from the last stand cave that have already been found, like that MG or a helmet?
Thank you for your question. There are a couple of rules at Iwo Jima and the number #1 rule is that nothing leaves the island except for sand. Besides, I feel those items were not meant to be kept. If it was up to me, even the items intentionally left should be in the museum.
3:09 what's that sound?
Thank you for sharing. The place looks so different from the old black and white film news reels. My late grandfather fought in the Pacific campaign. He was in the Army Infantry, so he was not at Iwo but I do understand from my Grandmother he fought at the Philippines and other islands. He never spoke one thing about the war with us grand children. My grandmother said something that stood out in my memory. She said the man she married prior to the war was not the same man who returned. I would love to read his service record book but have no idea if that would be available to me or how to get it now that both of my grandparents have passed away.
Thank you for your comment and I thank him for his service. Try the Army website and look for service records. Since you are family you can request a copy. Have a great day.
Not angry, but why is it alright to dig on hallowed ground such as Iwo Jima, but Gettysburg is shut down to detecting?
Rick...good question. Iwo Jima belongs to the Japanese and I had to obey their policies, such as the items I found were given to them, they decided what to do with them. Nothing could leave the island and I could only detect in areas that were already surveyed and had archeologists come in and remove anything of importance.
Because your bringing back a man’s history who deserves to be remembered
Also, everybody and their brother has access to Gettysburg, whereas Iwo To is very limited access. Gettysburg would be torn to pieces in no time.
Because Gettysburg is a national military park
Its Japan NOT the usa.
Quick question, did you have to ask someone for permission to dig there? And… How did you get there?
Frank...yes and I went for work and only did that on my time off.
the items you found with GREEN ..that is a clear sign of brass/copper content. I thin you did really well in searching what is basically 60 year old relics
My dad was there and brought back two rifles, bayonet, officers sword and pistol, grenade, and two flags, took a bullet and shrapnel from a nighttime banzai attack..I still have the sword, flags, and grenade..maybe I’ll take them back to Japan 🕊
I know there is more to Iwo than what you showed but it's still pretty cool to see where History was made and what it looks like today.
That big heavy pie e of metal found is possibly from 16 inch gun from a battleship or destroyer....both were used in the naval bombardment before the Marines went ashore...
Have to agree David. It's large calibre, 16 inch, would limit it to a Naval shell.
Pretty sure they weren't fitting 16" guns to destroyers.
Robot Bjorn they were 12 inches....my grandpa was on the USS INDIANAPOLIS...my point, smartass is it's too hard to tell from a 12 or 16 inch gun from just a piece of shrapnel....you'd have to find ALL of the shrapnel to know for sure...I spent 23 years in the military myself....anything else you wanna add?? I've been to Iwo Jima in 1992 when we gave control of the island back to Japan....have you been there???
David Sherbert
Sure. Lots I can add.
USS Indianapolis was not a destroyer.
12" guns were also never fitted to destroyers or to the Indianapolis.
Control of Iwo Jima was handed back to Japan in 1968, not 1992.
I'm sure you kept the toilets at your local Salvation Army spotless for the 23 years you cleaned them, sir.
I see shell casings, grenade detonators and the clip thing looks like an officers sword attachment. It makes sense to find grenade artefacts as often it was the final act of the Japanese to commit suicide rather than be taken captive. It certainly happened here according to records. Another interesting video, thank you.
Japan Treasure Hunters you’ll always have haters my friend. Part and parcel of RUclips. Keep at it and ignore them. Subscribed and wishing you all the best. Look forward to more content 👍🏼👍🏼 be safe 👊🏼
Maybe this is a dumb question but why exactly would you go relic hunting and kept beat up shells but the leave multiple helmets and a machine gun just rotting away in the cave entrance? Just me maybe?
Those items were left at the cave entrances for people to see who can tour the island. Also, nothing I found left the island.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 thanks for the reply! Gotcha im surprised they are just letting the stuff rot away without conserving it first! I have seen relic hunting videos from there before and seems everyone sends what they find to the island museums! Great video thanks!
That is because the only thing that leave the island is sand and we are briefed if there is any relics found, they must be turned in.
The little thing that could be a shell is a fuse, likely from a hand grenade. The big hunk of iron is likely from a 12" or 16" shell delivered from a battleship or heavy cruiser.
Good video keep them coming please.
@David thanks for your comment. I appreciate it very much. Also thanks for watching the video.
Iwo jima is the #1 most hallowed ground for all marines.You just don't understand what it means to them.Just being allowed to walk on the ground there is an incredibly rare and special thing,that not just anyone should be allowed to do.The ground there is definitely best left untouched.This isn't just any battlefield,it is the absolute pinnacle,the highest regarded battlefield in the entire world!Absolutely sacred ground equal to if not higher regarded than gettysburg.
Thank you for your comment. I do know and understand that the island is important and it means a lot to Marines. But the island is no longer an American Island, It is Japanese and really it is a reminder to them that they lost. What I am doing is not for me because I do not keep anything from the island. As it states in the description and at the end of the video, I left everything for the museum. Soon there is not going to be any veterans from the war but what I found and gave to the museum will be there for as long as the museum. I am preserving the Marines history on the island.
djsi38t pThe US gov. Should never have given Iwo back to the Japanese
Would think continuous shrapnel hits ?
Talk about ground zero! Knowing what went on right at those cave entrances and inside of them makes you pause and think.
Paul thank you for all the comments. It is a surreal feeling just landing on the island. The videos could have been better, they were my first ones, but I tried to be as respectful as I could while making then. I will be going back in next so please stay tuned for those videos.
Far out! I always want to learn from others incredible work in trying to relate to important WW2 battles. Enjoy!
How come there is so much hate comment here saying he's "grave robbing", but the same people don't have the same outburst of anger when others go to the Ardennes forest or parts of Germany and France. Everything went to the museum and it was all done in respect.
chavo
When you you go to ww1-2 sites in France you are not allowed metal detectors unless you have permission and when you find bones you have to contact authorities.
These guys are on an island and no authorities and no graves and should be a total ban
Martin Lewis they did have permission look at the comments he replied to and the description
Chavo, thank you for your response. I appreciate it very much. Most people don't read the description or the responses or actually watch the videos all the way through. Have. a great day.
Iwo looks so different now...green and peaceful...whereas during WWII it looked so barren as the plant life must have been blasted away. Speaking of which, using a metal detector and digging, isn't there a real risk of encountering unexploded ordnance?
@John that is why I was staying on the main paths and areas. The Marines and Coast Guard was there until 1968 when the states gave it back to Japan. I am sure that was one of their jobs then was to look for unexploded ordinance. Thank you for your comment.
Theoretically there is always a risk in ww2 battlefields. The ratio of rounds and bombs that failed to detonate is something like 1 in 5.
If you do find one you could be dealing with a something that could detonate just from you pulling it from the ground. The likelihood that ths will happen slim to none but the chance is there.
Over in germany we encounter uxo a lot, its not scary, except the big stuff or when you have no clue what it is. Hand grenades, mortar rounds and incindiary bombs are by far the most common we see with the exception of small arms ammunition, mainly 8mm mauser, 20mm flak, 15mm and 30 mm air rounds are found alot near airfields. 30.06 is common but normally only the brass case. 50. Cal is less common but still often found. The biggest round ive seen is an american 155mm round. Which easily could've turned the five of us to pink mist
Peleleu Island is covered in UXO, so much in fact that a site survey by the NPS had to be curtailed.
That big chunk of iron is probably shrapnel from naval gunfire, most likely a battleship or heavy cruiser firing on the gun emplacement near which you found it.
I knew a marine who landed on Iwo the 2nd day of the invasion. He told me treasure hunting in a cave cost a Marine his life when mistaken for a Japanese soldier by another Marine in the dark.
I asked about metal detecting in Okinawa. The Japanese gov. does not care about what is buried and if it is someone's remains, they would be more than happy if the (remains) were returned to their families. In that light, you would be doing the Japanese a service. After the battles on these islands, groups of American soldiers were sent around the island to pick up any arms and munitions they could find. So, it's not surprising there in not a lot but fragments. As far as the Americans who fought there (my uncle saw them raise the flag on Suribachi) I seriously don't think they care one way or another- matter of fact, they fought so that you could go metal detecting there-freedom.
I was stationed on Okinawa with my family for almost 5 years. Some areas were off limits while most we ok to look for stuff. I have coffee cans full from the early 1980s.
My family was there in '69, there was still plenty of stuff left in the caves around the golf course.
How are you able to be on the island for so long? I was under the impression they did guided day tours only. I would really like to visit someday.
When I am out there it is for work. The metal detecting and touring the island is something I do when I am off for the day. Thank you for your comment.
Disappointed to see all the modern trash in the cave.
Japan Treasure Hunters, thank you for the reply. My wife is Japanese so I can understand that now.
I was speaking to a Japanese person who is a descendant of a soldier who perished in the defense of Iwo Jima. We viewed your video together. Her grandfather's remains are 'lost' somewhere on the island. She found this video disturbing/unsettling. Regardless of where your artifacts go (either to a museum or a personal collection), she says that the battlefield is sacred ground - the resting place for thousands of souls, and should be left undisturbed. Its just a difference of perspective I suppose but worthy of some respect and consideration? It may be justified in an American visitor's mind by ceding the unearthed artifacts to a museum but there maybe some merit in considering the viewpoint of the other? What may be viewed as a harmless treasure hunt can end up being seen as defiling a grave site. She said that the ground that you're digging up was once soaked in blood, and that an epic struggle took place there. The projectiles, ordinance, and even buckles and metal clasps were likely handled or used by the deceased. I don't know... maybe a video of the existing artifacts displayed in the museum might be better than footage of people tearing into the soil of a mass graveyard? I hope you don't mind me sharing an alternate perspective on your passtime. peace to you!
When looked at from your point of view every inch of the Earth is a mass graveyard. We'd never learn anything new. Another way to look at it is he is cleaning the Island of the residue of war. A bunch of curious junk and scrap metal that doesn't belong there.
You are welcome, Japan Treasure Hunters. I'm glad that there is space here to have a respectful dialogue about your hobby, and specifically about metal detecting on Iwo Jima. For every person who can justify this activity, there will be a few who oppose it. Should the question about whether you should dig on Iwo Jima be about whose viewpoint and rationale to do so makes more sense? Or should the respect for, or the wishes of those who hold an alternate view/emotion about it be genuinely considered? For those - like my Japanese friend who had a visceral reaction to your video, she doesn't really care about the battlefields of Feudal era Japan, or the need for you and many others to "keep history alive", or whether the entire island had been been previously scoured by archeologists; all that matters to her is that her grandfather's remains are scattered somewhere on Iwo Jima and that this graveyard be left alone. It is sacred ground, period. She has nothing against you personally. Rather a simple wish for the ground to be left alone and her ancestors be respected. Should the wishes of those who have a significant tie to that soil be heeded?
The issue reminds me of opposing views that exist about Indian lands back in the US. The government cuts a deal with corporations to build the keystone pipeline and run sections over Indian/indigenous soil. A vast number (of non-Indians) praise it and think about how the economy will benefit from the project, and a long list of benefits is drawn up and publicized. And then many of us roll our eyes and scorn the Natives who appear on the evening news- angry with protest accompanied with beating drums. The Indians keep talking about their opposition of the pipeline running through their ancestral graves. And yes, there are a few Indians who side with the rationale put forward by the government in support of the project.
I'm not a metal detective but I hope that you and your colleagues will consider the feelings and viewpoints that run counter to yours.
Have a great day!
I happen to agree
If we did that Stalingrad and Berlin would still be in ruins.
Tourists are not allowed on Iwo To.
If he's there with a metal detector it is with express consent of the Japanese government. I've been there. I've found tons of artifacts and everything found is either set aside or turned over. Everything I found was laying right on the surface. When artifacts are found near the waterline they are picked up and set back away from the water.
First object is not a "rocket shell". More than likely 75MM tank round casing. Very doubtful the cone is a projectile. Shrapnel certainly did not come from the size of that casing. Likely a piece from a 16" projectile.
Part of a flag pole for their colors, which they burn when finished and doing suicide.
Christopher That is a 75mm casing. The “rod” coming up through the base is the primer. This not part of a flag pole....
One of my now deceased neighbors was a Marine who fought there
He would probably find this interesting
My step grandfather fought there as well with the Marines. Iwo Jima was his 2nd major battle with the Marines. I will never forget visiting the beach in 1977 with him and my grandmother when I was 10, just before the 4th of July, and someone had set off several M80's or something big, and later seeing Marvin sitting on a driftwood log outside of our motel room deck, shaking and chain-smoking. I can't imagine what he saw or experienced there.
Iwo Jima looks lovely and green now. just shows what the planet can do without man.
Gall...thank you for your view and comment. You are right...the planet can seem to fix itself on its on.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 I agree. 500 yrs from now it will all be gone. ✌🇺🇸
i feel like you would have had way better luck if you walked of the beaten track that place was blown to absoulte bits the trees and plants would have overgrown some of the real fighting positions that maybe were forgotton about . its freshly mown grass so people would be there a bit id assume
Ed...that is a great point. Two things, I was told I could detect on only areas that were excavated or maintained and going off the path and into the overgrowth would have been awesome and I really wanted to do that but I also had to think of the UXOs and the people who were with me. Thanks for your comment and view. It is well appreciated.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 ahh thats fair enough not exactly idea coming home in liquid form ;)
How do u know if its item or possible explosives before u put ur shovel in
You don't really know, unless you have equipment for that. Otherwise just have to be picky about what you dig. Thanks for the comment.
The shrapnel is Probly from a naval battery
Great job, you have an extremely exciting job. I'd love to explore old battle sites, dangerous yet rewarding
Thank you for your comment. It is well appreciated. Have a great day.
Who else feels he is too careless? What if it was a landmine? He will be digging it with that big devil's spoon :)
Braintemple Tutorial TV yeah you r absolutely right he is Damn Careless
My luck with a metal detector was always junk. Nails, screws and pop tops. My nephew actaully found a buried pay phone. Number, please. 😄 Where you are, everything you find is a treasure.
How does one travel to Iwo Jima? And what's it cost, approximately? Seems like an extraordinarily interesting place to visit. Thanks for sharing!
@Cooper my work allows me to go there about once a year. Otherwise you have to be in the military and go there for training or have to go for the Invasion Day Ceremony. Again with that you have to either be an Iwo Veteran for either side or military conducting the ceremony.
The Japanese military runs the island. There is no tourism.
It is open one day a year, this year(2019) it is March 23rd. I plan to be there with my 96 year old, Iwo Jima veteran father. There are at least two organizations running tours, ranging from 5-15K.
Great video. What’s the time and travel hops to get there? 🇨🇦
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately, unless you are American Military, Japanese Military or someone that has work out there, the chances are very slim to get out there. Again thanks for your comment.
Fascinating video!!! Probably a dumb question, but is there any worry about lingering landmines?
You are not the first to ask but the place has been pretty well excavated. I am sure there still some in the areas off the beaten path. That is the reason I stayed in the areas already excavated.
My father fought on Iwo, that's why I came here, its too bad the guy didn't know much or give some history.
@Michael, thank you for your comment. My apologies if this video comes across as such. Since that was day two, I had already did a little detecting the day before. Detecting was not my first priority here, I had to come for work. However, these are the first videos I made so they do need a lot more work. I have made another montage video of Iwo Jima and as we speak I am on Iwo and in a couple of weeks, I will post a couple more with more video, pictures and descriptions of the island. I thank your father for his service. Have a great day.
The detecting and discovery of previously lost artifacts is a huge piece of the historical/archeological puzzle. It gives us incredible insights into the battle that was waged and the men who traveled halfway around the world to make war on a tiny piece of land that no one had ever heard of before.
My father also fought and was wounded on this particular battlefield. It was something that he talked about rarely and with little detail. He took the majority of those experiences with him to the grave. I know it was a terrible thing for a teenager from the Ohio farmlands to live through. I am deeply grateful to anyone who takes the time to gather and catalog the evidence from this battlefield. I hope that someday my kids or grandkids can have a better idea of what their grandfather faced and sacrificed in the hopes that they might have a better life.
@Redfish, thank you for your comment it is well appreciated and especially the story. I would like to thank him for his service.
Kind of concerning how much trash like water bottles were in the cave. That's hollowed ground. Can't believe people could litter in a place like this.
Most of the water bottle are offering for the little shrines that are in or on the outside of the caves. Water bottle are left because at the time, the Japanese ran low on water and almost all the soldiers were dehydrated. There are some sake bottles too. Thank you for your comment.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Thank you for clearing that up. That makes sense.
I’m a new subscriber I enjoy your hunts, your song nothing wrong especially with the fact that your giving it to the museum, keeping history alive, you could find a item that potentially belonged to someone’s great grandfather who fought in the war, keep it up bro
Thanks for the comment. That would be amazing if I could find something like that and return it to a family member. Right now I am working on returning a bronze star to a Vietnam Veteran's family. Thanks again for the great comment.
Imagine the finds in the jungle. Interesting video.
3:05 that's part of the music right? The sobbing?
I actually just listened to it too...that was not part of the music. Thanks for pointing that out.
Creeeepy🤤
How the hell do you find a shell that was fired by a canon that was on the island ?
And for those of you who do not know it has never been established as a grave site do any of you realize how much of this world has had dead bodies at one tie or another on it and yet they build roads subdivisions on top of Indian burial grounds and I don’t hear any of you complaining about that type of actions hypocrites plain and simple and I don’t believe he was stealing anything one more thing how do you all expect history to be understood and told without evidence relics artifacts!!!??
I thought the entire island was considered a war grave metal detecting just seems kind of uncool
First and foremost I want to say that I received permission to detect and what I found I gave to the museum on Iwo To (Jima). Nothing left the island. Treasure means different things to different people. To me, just having the opportunity to do detect here was the treasure.
Keep up the good work
the conical thing is the tip of a flagpost
Please tell me that you didn’t dig holes and didn’t walk away without refilling them.
If you did, that would be a cardinal sin in metal detecting, and the true sign of a rookie that only cares about he can find for himself.
@Anna...of course I refilled all the holes.
You can literally watch him fill the holes he dug?
I've never metal detected. I did not know this small detail.
Always take care of the area you detect. Also take all trash out with you and don’t re bury it. He did everything correct when I watched the video. Don’t know what you were watching. Have another drink.