Iwo Jima Saving Relics
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Iwo Jima Saving Relics. Just by random chance we stumbled upon and found some relics on Iwo Jima Hill 362A. This battle was bloody and many men died to take this hill. I tried to do the best I could with the video. The relics were just unbelievable. Sitting outside for decades. How could no-one ever see or find these again? I hope this video helps with some visual aspects from the history books. Thank you for taking this journey.
WWII Historical Sites - Iwo Jima Memorial • WWII Historical Sites ...
Iwo Jima Modern Day Video • Iwo Jima in the Modern...
#japantreasurehunters #iwojimarelicsfound #iwojima
Iwo Jima Sites Part 1 is here. ruclips.net/video/Lfw_4GZKPSk/видео.html
Disculpa toque el cc pero los subtítulos son en Inglés o japones
Your welcome!
Have you been in the cave with the Spot light on rail tracks? I never made it into Suribachi but we did find a tunnel into the base. I remember there was a two man rock drill. Below Turkey Knob the caves were too hot to enter.
My Grandfather was 1 of 9 Marines killed on March 26, 1945, on Iwo Jima He was part of the 5th pioneer battalion 5th division. Thank you to all that served o7
My late cousin Jack Roberts was there in 44.
God bless your grandpa. True American
Jgmopar,may your grandfather R.I.P.
My dad was also either the 5th pioneer battalion 5th marine div
And fought in the last banzi on 26, March 1945
What was your grandfathers name
What was your grandfathers name.
My dad was also in the 5th pioneer 5th marine div
He fought in that banzi on 26, March 1945
Thanks for sharing my dad was there with the 3rd marines. He always talked about wanting to go back and visit. He passed in 1975 at the young age of 57. Still miss ya dad
Steven...thank you for your view and comment. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. I especially want to say thank you to him for his service.
Thank you for your father's service, he passed the year I was born. Sadly they are all leaving us, but I am fortunate to have had the chance to hear stories from these heroes personally.
My dad was there also.. A marine raider. My hat off to all that served in that war!
My great grand pa was on iwo
Semper fi
My father landed on Iwo Jima with the 4th Marine Division. He got his second Purple Heart a few days after the flag raising. He got his first on Saipan.
JMMcK,...thank you for the view and comment. Also, I would like to thank him for his service.
A true hero. Bless him
My uncle was in the 4th. Wounded on the 6th day
John...thank you for watching and commenting. I also thank him for his service.
My dad spent 2.5 years in the Pacific theatre in WWII,......he rarely talked about the things he saw,......but he told me until he passed that he never wanted to see me buy a Japanese car. I honored his request.
My Dad was at Iwo Jima. Third Division, Ninth Regiment. Like most of those veterans from that time he never said much about it. My neighborhood growing up had many WWII veterans. Several childhood friends fathers were WWII vets. They would get together with my Dad and pitch horseahoes. I never heard any war stories among them. Guess none of them wanted to discuss or hear about each others personal hell. Never heard them discuss The Great Depression either for that matter. Another different kind of hell for that generation.
John Clark, son of WWII USMC veteran
My uncle served in the Marines during the war. He did island fighting in the pacific. My parents told me not to discuss the war with him, as the topic made him depressed. He never said a word about it. I was a kid in the 1960s and had a keen interest in WWII. I would have liked to talk to him about his experience.
I am a real German and a military buff, visiting military museums, fortifications, battlefields etc. all over the world, but mainly Europe. Only by now I discovered your channel. But what I want to say : Thanks an awful lot for handing, all the found artefacts over to the local museums ! Here in Europe most of such valuable finds end up in the wrong hands and vanish for ever. Well done !
Ivar...thank you for the comments and view. I appreciate it very much. Maybe it is my personal though that it should be in a museum for others to see and learn about. The artifacts are not for me but for the world to see.
Here in europe most shit gets destroyed like relic rifles
I found human bones at Verdun.
@@michaelwhisman i have human bones in my garden.
Well is makes it easy for the relic hunters when almost all of Europe was at one time or another a battlefield when u have giant battles in the Kursk area where basically no one came to clean up or gather guns or body’s for burial. I see on the channels from eastern Russia and Poland just guns still lying where they were dropped 80 some odd years ago or skeletons still in the foxhole at their post. It’s amazing. At least someone is out there documenting it. But the crazy stuff is the magnet fishing for artifacts that people never wanted them to be found in lakes and or rivers. Amazing. We have nothing in America like that to search for. Just goto a city and find discarded crime weapons ,murder weapons who knows. No real history.
It’s disheartening to know the greatest generation is coming to an end. I grew up watching WWII documentaries with my father. Truly an amazing and brave generation. Thank you to all that have served and most of all, thank you to everyman who gave all. As the first born generation in the USA, all these men are my fathers.
Its up to us to keep their memories alive
Thank you for sharing that. Beautiful
I like that. I feel that way too.
I knew an old guy who is now passed on who was a marine that fought on Iwo Jima. I only knew him as a senior citizen and I’m sure he wasn’t the man he once was. Small in stature at 5’4” he wasn’t much larger than the opposition. He was always worried about us kids getting hurt. I’ve always wondered how he fought being so concerned with safety? But I know he was in the thick of it, Alfred had night terrors until his death. He was haunted by his experiences in the Marine corps. He didn’t run around openly proud of his service and until you got to know him he didn’t mention it.
When I saw my foot Dr. , he told me he had treated a 99 year old Marine who survived Iwo Jima without a scratch after 33 days of combat. Amazing story. I heard he went and met a 19 year old who was learning to be a artillery man at fort Sill here In Oklahoma. He was supposed to be one of the youngest Marines in active service.
I had the opportunity to go there on a Battle Study out of Okinawa in 1988. The Coast Guard had a small LORAN base there then.
We walked the battlefield, climbed Mt. Suribachi and did lots of cave exploring.
As we were leaving, another Marine and I tracked down some Japanese comm wire on the ground. It continued to be joined with other wires until it went into the base of a hill that had obviously received shellfire to collapse the hill. I can only imagine what was buried there.
David...thank you for your comment and view. Great story. Also, thank you for your service.
I spent a year on the island, 1976 to 1977. I found a few interesting things back then and brought a few back to the States with me.
Please tell us what you found. @@patmancrowley8509
To see the windswept greenery looking so peaceful, and to look back at footage taken during the offensive to capture the island, one can barely imagine that they're the same location!
The amount of blood spilt and human tissue, organs and bone blasted over that ground is truly unimaginable.
My father in-law fought on Iwo, he drove a bull dozer. He mentioned how he just plowed everything under, enemy soldiers, swords,n guns.he said the enemy booby trapped everything so he touched nothing.he would pump diesel fuel in the caves and light it.the fumes would penitrate and force the enemy out.he said they would bury their helmets in the ground and heat from the island volcanic surrounding would heat their food! His memory and service is my artifact.
My dad was a 19 year old marine who was on okaknowa, who survived the 2nd wave of the invasion! He never talked much about his experience to anyone, God reat his soul,he passed away at 94 years old!
USMC veteran of Afghanistan. I hold the utmost respect for the WW2 generation. What I’ve been through is nothing compared to what they endured and these pieces of history found on the grounds of Iwo Jima must be preserved for the legacy of both sides and their sacrifices. Thank you for sharing this video. I wish I could visit there and pay my respects.
Thank you so much for exploring 362A. It was one of the critical battle sites and your video allowed me to imagine the Japanese soldiers hustling through those caves and spilling out to man defensive positions - and the Marines slowly beating them back in costly attacks. I'm glad you found so many artifacts. Imagine what lies behind some of those closed-in tunnels! Scrape marks on the walls are from Japanese efforts to find their soldiers with excavators.
I am glad I had the chance and if my friend that was with me hadn't said to explore of trail then we wouldn't have found all those artifacts. I am so happy I could get that for you.
There is not enough respect, appreciation, and gratitude in pur beings for these brave soldiers....
My uncle, Sergeant Odis Fortner 3rd division Marines was on Iwo.
He was chief of the repair section of the 3rd Tank Battalion.
He was missing three fingers on his left hand and said while he
was repairing the tracks on a tank that they were shot off by
enemy fire. My uncle was a tough SOB but a kind and loving man
at the same time.
Nohairmon...thank you for your comment and view. It's amazing just how much our veterans had to go through for the country they love. Also thank you for the story. Hearing those is what makes the video making process worth it.
Years ago I flew out to Iwo Jima on a C130 resupply for the Coast Guard who were at the time operating the LORAN station there. I spent the day driving around the island going into many of the caves and along the beach. Up on top of Mt. Surabchi I was able to see the entire ten square mile island. Korean slaves carved out those tunnels when the island was mined for sulfur used in Japan's war industry. I wonder how many of those "Japanese" soldiers were Korean? When we went through some of the tunnels the heat and humidity made it very difficult. Sure would have been great if I had the digital capability including video back then as people have today. Some of us went snorkeling off the shore and that was pretty cool.
The cave that collapsed, That would have been the one to dig for Artifacts but you may have found some that you didn't want to find!
Just so you know the Japanese government dose not allow anyone to dig anywhere on the island. They consider the entire island to be a graveyard or tomb. They are very sensitive about that. The same as if someone came to a graveyard in the u.s. and started digging up those buried there.
My father in law was in the Marines on Iwo jima and pacific islands...he received the purple heart in WW2..he passed away with scrapnel in his knee and he had 6 shots scars
Mike...thank you for your view and comment. Also great story...I thank him for his service.
I’m so sorry to hear about that.
How’s it going? Hope you are staying healthy. I can only imagine how insane it must have been for both sides during the battle. As always I really appreciate the tours. Amazing finds. Thanks for doing them for us who will never be there in person.
Thanks Paul...I cannot imagine it. The thought that any moment might be your last. You are welcome for the tours it is absolutely my pleasure to do them.
It's amazing that even to this day you can still find remnants of the war and each of those artifacts tells the tale of life sacrifice victory and strife what brave men and amazing generation it must have been to bad it's close to closing its curtain but as it does I give a standing ovation to these men and what they did for us all 😥🇺🇸
Such a "no win" situation. These poor guys were left on the island against a force that they knew were going to take them out. Gregg Allman sang it best..."ain't but one way out, baby, and I just can't go out that door..."
‘Cause there’s a man down there, might be your man I don’t know.
The troops considered it an honor to die for the emperor!
That blue bottle @ 9:07 is a sake bottle. Found hundreds of them at a Japonese logging camp in British Columbia Canada. The camp was active right up to the start of the war, when all the men were removed to internment camps.
Ant-1 Thank you for the view and comment. You are probably right...there are a lot of sake bottles and cups just laying around every where there.
that globemaster wreckage you saw was crazy i read that the entire crew died so unfortunate may all the souls lost from that globmaster and from iwo jima rest in peace
Awesome relics and places of the Battle..really amazing!!
My grand uncle Benny was hit while going in the landing craft by artillery
So after dropping off the non wounded marines , he was taken back
This was his 4th campaign, his 5th Purple Heart
He sat out the rest of the war recovery in the US
His brother Arthur was recovering from bullet wounds while fighting in Germany
Thank you for showing us this footage you took, I eventually want to visit there one day myself. I also find all the artefacts you discover so fascinating and some of them very personal to the soldiers that fought there. These are things like the shaving kit, canteens and even the spur. Thanks again for sharing.
Rust...thank you for watching. I am glad that enjoyed the video.
Deployed to Tinian in 198X. Set up at Ushi Point for ELINT ops per COMNAVMARIANAS Directive. As the senior Marine, I checked in with the San Jose honchos and was basically granted carte blanche access everywhere on the island. Flew over to Saipan for a 1-day excursion, courtesy of a local 'groceries' pilot. Cutting to the chase; after XX days on Tinian, we packed out a pallet load of everything from ID tags to machine guns. Most of the artifacts were turned over to my HQs G-5. One particular item I picked up on Saipan and a few more items from Tinian made it back to CONUS. Coincidentally, my father made his way to Okinawa via Tinian, serving with VMB-612 as a crew chief in PBJ's.
xfire....thank you for the comment and view. Thank you for your story and your service. My uncle was a crew chief on a PBJ to I believe...would be something if they were in the same squadron.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Now that would be interesting. My dad was initially Motor Transport. Sometime between 612's move to NAS Key West and NAS Barbers Point he was briefly a gunner and ultimately a mech/crew chief. He once told me, 'machines and motors' are basically the same no matter what the platform. He's since mustered out to the big parade field in the sky but I was fortunate to have attended with him his last 612 reunion in Arlington, VA several years ago. Semper Fi!
@@xfirehurican Amazing. I can only imagine the feeling being around all of the veterans. I had to go back and watch the video I posted of my uncle describing his time during the war. He was in the B-24s.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 I was thinking about the odds - a channel author and a random commenter, two Marine Corps PBJ crew chiefs, both on Iwo Jima, and at the same time; that'd be one helluva coincidence! Most WWII aviation fans have never heard of the PBJ; a modified B-25 'Mitchell' bomber flown by Marines in the Pacific. There's a lot more to it, but essentially that's it. Also, I'm pretty sure that only USAAF and USN pilots flew the B-24 'Liberator' and it's variants. SEMPER FI!
My step grandfather was a water tender on the USS Missoula. They took a load of Marines into Iwo Jima and he was just off shore when both flags went up. The first small flag was taken to Iwo with the Marines on the Missoula.
Kris...thank you for your view and comment. I always like to hear the stories of family that were on the island during and after the battle. I also thank him for his service.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Hello, unfortunately my step grandfather has passed. He rejoined the Navy in September 1942 at the age of 38. He spent about 18 months in the Atlantic chasing submarines on a Patrol Frigate (Corvette) and then was transferred to the west coast where he eventually ended up on the Missoula. He was a man of many trades and skills. But, when you mentioned his time in the Navy you could tell he was wishing he was a young man again so he could do it all over. He spoke with some reverence of those Marines and what they went through on Iwo Jima. The Missoula took on wounded Marines starting with the first day of battle and collected those wounded Marines for a week before going back to better hospital on a previously won island so could get advanced treatment.
I can't imagine how many unexploded ordinance is left on that island
Thos is amazing I'm a marine corps veteran and I have always wanted to visit iwo jima and Mt suribachi. I was stationed in kaneohe bay, HI. The whole time I was there I never visited the pearl harbor memorial site. I wish I did at the time. Now that's the second thing on my list.
I can picture the japanese soldiers just huddled in those cave while the island is being bombarded....and then the caves having nepalm dropped on them from navy corsairs and zippo tanks blasting fire in them.All those things happened right there where you are...amazing place.
Those caves are wear the US troops used flame throwers to burn out the Japanese soldiers . If the flames didn't get em , the fire from the flame throwers used up all the oxygen in the cave . So if they didn't burn , they suffocated . It just goes to show how effective those japanese tunnels were. That they couldn't flush em out except for that one particular weapon.
Unbelievable that piles of relics are left to rust in the open air. Where are the Universities? You would think that Iwo Jima would be one of the most surveyed, explored, and studied islands in the world. It's hallowed ground for certain.
Thanks a million Drew, for going and sharing this with the marines! OooRah!!!!
Joanne...thanks for stopping by and checking it out. We appreciate it very much.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 you are welcome! I’m a huge history fan and I’m a retired marines widow. Thank you for doing what you do❤️
Joanne...my pleasure. I just wish my editing skills were better. Thank you for your husband's service and your's as a Marine spouse.
Its crazy that relic hunting doesn't really seem to be a thing there.
Here in western Germany you have to work really hard to find some good stuff with a metal detector.
Finding relics without a detector is almost impossible.
What would be amazing is a LIDAR survey of the island
That tall canister seen standing up at 7:00 is for a Japanese periscope, I used to have one
Spooky as HELL!!
I wonder how many Japanese rifles are loosely buried just under the surface of the soil in some places in that island?
Enjoyed the video keep them coming
THSMA...thank you for the comment and view. Well appreciated. I will definitely keep them coming!
I didn't realize Black Label was that old, even if that particular bottle was left later on or not. The brand first appeared in 1909 and was around the world by 1920.
My dad was with the 5th marine div
5th pioneer battalion A company
He was involved in the last banzi
26 March 1945
When the battle is over you leave what there is there let it stay for the spirit of the battle.
Stunning!
Another awesome video Johnathan mate its amazing to see all that stuff still there after all this time 😀👍👌..brilliant upload mate keep em coming brother an stay safe 👍😀
Thanks Derek. When we found the items, my hands were shaking. Incredible knowing that only 75 years ago there was such an intense battle there and we were holding the remnants in our hands.
new friends from philippines.. watching your youtube channel
King...I checkout your channel too. Good luck on the hunt! But be careful there are booby traps. I also subbed.
Fascinating. gave me goosebumps.
If feel like any Iwo combat veteran from either side, if still able, should be allowed on the island anytime with no caves or areas barred!
That white thing you called a sake cup looks like the type of candle holder that Japanese still use on their shrines. Great video, thank you.
JCDC...thank you for your view and comment. I appreciate the correction of the little white cup. You have a great informative channel too.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Not sure it is a correction... might be for sake.. but looks like the old style candle holders.. Either way, very cool!
thanks to all your dad's and grandfather's who died for our country! and thanks to the men who survived...
What Museum are you donating these artifacts to? Is it possible to view them at the museum? I understand that its difficult to keep alot of things on u, but will you consider keeping a field notebook to keep a record of what u found and details of where they were found etc etc to help the museum and future scholars study the context of your finds? Because these sites can be considered “archeological sites” now and will be crucial for future studies.
Thank you for your comment. I turned everything into the museum on the island. The Japanese military run the island and the museum and only take items they fill necessary. Everything else is left where it is found. Every few years or so they will have archeologists come out and excavate, but I feel they would just rather leave everything where it found.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1that's terribly sad.... these items should be in the hands of collectors..a provenanced piece that was dug or recovered off the island would bring a decent sum despite the poor condition..this money could he used to fund further work on the island and would preserve these under appreciated relics putting them into the hands of interested collectors! Always hate to see stuff like this.. as if the sentiment of leave it and let if rust or disintegrate into nothing is somehow better then a collector owning it..I don't get it.
How times change, was there 1953, do not remember seeing any grass or weeds, just dark sand and rocks.
Please do NOT take away any of these items from the island. These items should be preserved in the island, preferably a museum in the island.
All items were left on the island in the museum as stated in the video several times. Thank you for the view and comment.
What a cruel slaughter it must have been on the island of Iwo Jima, where the Americans and Japanese slaughtered each other.
I was there on a fighter wing detachment in 1993 and I remember how there are all kinds of things laying on the ground almost everywhere you look. And lots of scorpions.
CBing71...thank you for your comment and view...One thing hasn't changed was the scorpions or the centipede (mukade). Also thank you for your service.
Iwo is closed to tourists. I was there 6 yrs ago on a special tour. It is considered a war grave.
Yes, the Japanese consider the island a sacred site.
They should open it up to tourists. Its about time. Let them loot the island for all they can find. Why? Just letting it all rot seems a shame. I know Pres Trump would open it up. He understands commerce.
Incredibly dangerous...check out the cracks over the entrance...held by a wing and a prayer...hope there is another way out
The 'Hamburger Hill' before 'Hamburger Hill'(In Vietnam).. Or I will recall Iwo Jima as the 'Hamburger island'. Meatgrinder, Turkey Knob & the Mountain Suribashi battle in this island alone are horrific
And yall gave them to a museum, thats great !!!
Dale...none of it was ours to begin with. As Indiana Jones would say, "It belongs in a museum." Thanks for the view and comment.
Been there. Removing articles was against the law when I was there. You would have found a bigger stash at the coast guard barracks on the north end.
Amazing, some real personal items.
PP...thanks for the view and comment. I thought so too especially the spur for the boots.
mind blowing
my great grandfather was there in 1945
It's good that both Japanese and American come back to that island every year for official ceremonies honoring soldiers that died there. But it's a shame that they allow anyone to pick around in those caves and around on that island like you did in the video. That's Hollowed ground. A huge graveyard where thousands upon thousands of soldiers died and they and that ground should be left in peace and not picked through like some guy with a metal detector.
They don’t allow “anyone” to pick around. Try to visit the island yourself and let me know how that goes! 😂
The caves are hollowed out.
Decent channel 👌
Superb!
Unexploded land mines are just one problem
The ones cave in would be awesome to spend few days trying to open up who knows what is back their
Nice job on this.
Thank you! Cheers!
Baron Nishi did not bring horses to the Island. It was RevWachi.
I bet you'd of loved to take home that bayonet!!
The average japanese soldier would probably only have a staight razor to shave. But a wealth officer like Nishi would most probably have a western style safety razor. Safety razor and spures from the same location makes your assumption of Nishi very possible.
Lockbar...thank you for your view and comment.
Interesting artifacts. Q
My dad was on the battleship USS North Carolina 🇺🇸
awesome video guys!
Edward...thank you for your comment and view. We are happy that you enjoyed the video.
amazing video
Age of Z...thank you for your comment and view. We are glad you liked it.
Man the Officer’s Spur is literally like finding gold. I cannot believe that you got that. 1/1,000,000 find Forsure.
Ifreakingeatpeople...thanks for the view and the comment. It was truly an amazing find considering it was just laying on the ground.
I recognise all those grasses. How did they get on there I wonder? Its like miles from anywhere.
What an wonder finding relics on an island where one of the bloodiest battles of WWII happened. Praise the Lord.
We should drop these on the desk of the Japanese PM, just in case they try to get crazy again
The spur is from.Rev Wachi which is equally amazing
My grandfather Robert Flesch Sr. was wounded in the leg on Iwo.
My father, was with the V amphibious corp, delivered the marines to the shores of Tawara, Saipan, + Iwo Jima and removed the wounded, brought ammo back, his right ear was shot off.
Edgar...thank you for the view and the story. I also thank him for his service.
Edgar , your father might have delivered my uncle Alexander Peña to the beaches of Tarawa and Saipan, He was with the 3rd battalion 6th marine regiment 2nd marine division, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan and Tinian, He was KIA on Tinian July 30,1944, Your father was a brave man,many of those men were KIA taking in those marines under fire,Greatest Generation of All Time!!
My Great Grandfather was on Iwo Jima and took a few photos while he was there. The photo puts him on the island on September 1st 1945 but I assume that he was there even before that.
Jordon...thank you for your view and comment. I appreciate hearing the stories of family that has been there. I thank him for his service.
I would imagine there are lots of relics to be found, both Japanese and U.S. relics. It would be really neat to come ashore on the beach where the Marines fought and died in WWII.
I have always wanted to go but I think that you have to get permission from the Japanese Government and that might be tuff to do
I had the Honor of spending 3 days on Iwo Jima in 1991. It was humbling to stand on Surbachi.
The pistol cartridge that you found looks to be an 8x22 nambu, probably for brain surgery lol.. just kidding but all jokes aside, it’s a very cool find. I would love to go to these battle sites and see things like that and all the other things just to wonder what stories they have to tell.
Interesting how the tailgate with items on it was a Mitsubishi...
Very nice finds!!!
Riki...thanks for stopping but and watching. Appreciate you taking your time to watch the video.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 I'm a Tommy Gun fan. I would have liked to see that relic a little bit longer but I was happy to see the glimpse that I did.
Riki...my apologies for not holding that clip a little longer. But I am happy that you enjoyed the video. Thank you again.
Thank you very much for this video. I know at least the 1st and 3rd Platoons, Company E, 2/28 Marines were on Hill 362A on 1 Mar 1945. It was the 3rd Platoon that raised the first flag on Suribachi, and members of the 1st Platoon the raised the second flag captured in Joe Rosenthal's iconic photo. My cousin was in the 3rd Platoon and was killed here. Mike Strank, of the second flag raising, was killed on 362A a few minutes after my cousin, and Harlon Block a little later in the day.
Bartman...thank you for the view and the story. When I read those stories it personalizes my trips out there.
Bradley's book "Flags of Our Fathers" gives a very good description of the battle and thouroughly discusses Strank and Block. He also gives a good description of the makeup of the caves. Very good reading for those interested.
When I was there I always worried about booby trapped and unexploded ordinance. I worked one day on, two days off, so had plenty of time to explore. One day I was fishing on the north side of the island when I heard women's voices. I looked up over the sandy knoll and saw a group of topless women walking towards me. Off to the east was the Lindbaum Explorer anchored about 200 yards off shore. The ship was on its way around d the world and stopped on Iwo for a visit. That night the captain invited about 10 coast guardsmen out for dinner. There was always something happening on the island.
Great story! Unfortunately that never happened when I was there...lol
I was there for three months in 1976. The US Coast Guard LORAN station had about 35-40 crew members depending on who was coming and who was going. The Japanese had small contingent of about 15 members, other than that the island was basically uninhabited. I was sent there TAD as a cook to assist the other two cooks feed a Japanese tower crew that was there doing maintenance on the transmitter tower which, by the way, was at the time the second tallest free-standing in the world. Fifty feet taller than the Empire state building. The Soviets claimed fame to the tallest which was not much taller. What amazed me was the freedom we had to wander around. The main leisure activity at the time was to walk the perimeter of the island and look for hand blown glass fishing net floats. There were Chinese, Japanese, and Soviet floats. Soviet were the most valuable. The fishing was amazing. If you go to Google Earth and search Iwo Jima then once there switch to satellite view then scan down the west coast about mid way and you can see two Japanese ferro cement freighters that had been sunk just off of shore to keep the assault landing craft from breaching the island there (you can also look for the foundation pads of the USCG complex and it's water catchment basin). Now they're up off the shore a bit because the island is expanding out of the ocean. They made a great pier to fish from. Another interesting topic to look into is the geology of the island and those around it. The station was decommissioned in the early 90's when LORAN became obsolete.
The caves that were seal off meaning no rope ,but blocked off means there's things that are tomed in so you can't see
Creepy hallowed ground
My good friend Don (D/2/28) has a few stories about that Hill. Do you happen to still have any of the relics?
Ricky...thank you for the view and comment. We could not remove any of the relics from the island. I left everything for the museum that is there. Also, the only thing that can be removed from the island is sand.
Medal of Honor winner Sargent Basilone died taking that Island.
respect to the warrior
The spur was an amazing find.
Gary...thank you so much for the view and comment. It was truly amazing that it could be tracked down to someone who was famous at the time.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Yes I have read about the Baron and of course saw the movie Letters from Iwo Jima so it is most likely that spur was a personal item of his.
My Uncle was in tanks on this island he said they sealed the caves up. Unfortunately he was badly wounded his tank was hit as I read about. Iwo there was a gun that was picking off tanks. I just wonder about it. He is gone but not forgotten His Name was James Kish
War Skye...thank you for your story and view. I thank your uncle for his service.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Thanks
How did the Japanese dig so many tunnels? It must have been incredibly hard to do all these.
Scott...thank you for the view and the question. The ground there isn't that hard. Mostly it was manual labor with with pick axes and shovels. After Japan lost Guam, they basically said that Iwo was on its own and didn't provide any more support.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 Wow. Thanks for the prompt answer. It looked like manual labor to me but wasn't sure.
@@scottbert9556 There is a cave that is called the Sauna Cave and it is exactly that. During the night it is 50C and is drops at about a 25% angle for 25 meters and branches off in two directions. The further down, the hotter it got. They hand dug that out too.
They had a garrison of Twenty eight thousand troops to dig the tunnels and about a year to dig them.
They Had 2yrs To Dig The
Tunnels, BEFORE Iwo Jima
Was Invaded...
I've got an old bayonet original for the M1917 Enfield rifle and in ww2 used for the trench shotgun. It's got a sticker on it "Iwo Jima 1974". I'm not sure how easy it is to get relics off the Island.(Iwo ito now?)
Mosin...probably at that time it was easier to take relics off, now the only thing that can leave the island is the sand.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 can I ask how you got access? I heard it's by invite of the Japanese gov only and nearly impossible. Amazing trip you made!!
I was out there for work. I had been out there quite a few times before and this was my last trip.