That tunnel with the rectangle entrance (JASFD had a half link golf course out front when I was stationed there.) was way too hot from the volcano to enter when I was there but it was littered with who knows what. Poked my head in and burned my earlobes.You will find the best stuff using your eyes after the rain or a heavy storm, Red is rust, White is aluminum, Green is brass Yellow is sulfur and nitro, and Black is charcoal and gunpowder. Landmines are ceramic as well as were the small ball grenades similar to those used in the 1500s in France. Only thing on the beach is spent shells, rusty landing craft, and glass floats. That was the cave Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi retreated to when his headquarter's were overrun early in the battle. If you had gone to the right the first Tsanho had a hole with a sandstone cap. That 's I found an oil lamp. In the U.S. many people put personal safes made from concrete with cast caps in their basements and the Japanese did the same on Iwo. You probably walked by some soldiers favored possessions and didn't even know it. Next up, Hospital cave. While the excavation was on going a buddy poked his head in and said bodies were stacked up like cord wood.Best thing to find in those areas are gold capped teeth and medicine bottles.Next stop, Concrete ships. The Corps of Engineers put then there as a break water. One is purported to be Russian. I have some as builts I found online. Call me if you need a tour guide.
You don’t disturb live ammo. Walking a steep trail along a ridge on Kiska island back in 83 I disturbed an entire case of pristine ammo made in Colorado I quickly moved on. 10 fingers 10 toes.
I have no idea why ppl are criticizing this video so much, u show great interest in history and i agree - even if its "just" a coin or a casing, its proof soldiers were there, fighting, dying. They are all relics connected to the big tragedy that was WW2.
Just wanted to give you a great big "Thank You" for posting. As a Marine Veteran, this video makes me feel even more of a connection to my Iwo Jima Marine Brothers. To us Marines, this battle is legendary. I was on the USS Ogden in 1997 on a West Pac Deployment and we did ceremony just off the coast but I never got to walk on Iwo Jima. Again, thank you. To my brothers still on Iwo Jima, I think of you and I sincerely hope I lived up to the standards that you set. Semper Fi!
One of my Dad's many stories he told me about on Iwo Jima was this one particular cave close to one of the airfields. My Dad went in and ran into a deceased Japanese soldier that had been propped up by Marines to scare the bajeebers out of anyone who went in. The cave air was such that the soldier didn't decompose. My Dad said he almost shot him with his M1carbine. Brass got wind of this and they soon removed the soldier's remains.
My Dad , was landed as part of the Fifth Marine Corp Division 75 years ago last month and fought to survive on the very ground shown here in a "very different light ".
Life is so crazy. By the grace of God your walking around there with a metal detector free and safe. Compared to those brave young men who carried rifles and died horrible hellish deaths. God Bless those soldiers.
My Dad was a coxswain on an LCT in the opening days of the battle. He never recovered from his PTSD and died in 1973. I have managed to get some "black sand" from the beach through a friend but have always dreamed of doing exactly what you are doing. Haven't seen your videos yet but bookmarked your channel. Looking forward to seeing what you saw.
Durham...Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you bookmarking and watching later. After being there and seeing the island in person, it is unbelievable the carnage that happened in the 37 days. If I could thank your father in person for his service I would but instead I will thank you on his behalf. Thank you for your service.
Somewhere on the road to Mt. Suribachi, there was a round object that I tried kicking out of the ground on my first trip there. On my second trip, there was caution tape and signs around it in Japanese and English saying something along the lines of "Unexploded bomb". I'm sure it was a dud, but man that could have sucked...
Watching your video was very interesting to me because the father of my best friend in high school was a Marine and fought in the battle if Iwo Jima and survived. He never talked about it very much but I can still remember the horrible images in the pictures he took when he was there. My friend is still alive (We are now 78 years old) but his father passed away many years ago.
Lloyd...thank you for for your view and comment. My best friend's father was in the Korean and Vietnam War and even though he didn't have picture of his time there he did tell stories. Not the same but the mental images are.
Thank you for your comment about my comment. I am a Vietnam vet myself. I served in the Army at Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam in 1969 & 70. I was a finance clerk so I thankfully, was not exposed to the things that the combat soldiers were exposed to. @@JapanTreasureHunters1
I was born and live on Guadalcanal and for me it has been the best playground for detecting. I have had so many great finds. It's fortunate for us that our government has banned all relics of war from leaving the country, so today there are little villages that dot the old battlefields which have set up relic stalls for people to see. My Father was a WW2 veteran in the Australian army and he fought in New Guinea and Bouganville. His unit also fought alongside some US army and marine units. He would always comment on how the Australians got on better with the Marines than the Army but they respected both equally.
God u have an awesome opportunity to do this. I’m glad ur doing tho bc clearly u treat the place with utmost respect and clean ur litter. Don’t stop making vids like this ur literally the only person I’ve seen be able to do this
My father was there too. He told me from the movie Sands of Iwo Jima that was true was the line, "we don't know what they have there but whatever it is, they've had forty years to put it there."
5th Marine Division I hope you are talking about. 5th Marines is the 5th Marine Regiment, part of 1st Marine Division. They didn't land on Iwo Jima, but at Okinawa on April 1st 1945.
I went out to Peleliu a few years ago. Spent a week on the island diving and hiking the battle field. I used my hand held GPS to cut through the jungle (very thick) to "The Point" where Chesty Puller came ashore. I found a US Bayonet from an M-1 Garand, numerous shell casings 30.06 head stamped USMC 1943 and lot of other small items. I had no metal detector. The Japanese breast works and defense pill boxes were there still. It was surreal. My finds are in the small museum set up in the old Japanese command building. I'd go back there in a minute. Very interesting and the scuba diving is world class if you enjoy looking at fantastic coral formations, shear walls dropping far into the deep blue, sea turtles, manta rays, thousands of different tropical fish and no small number of sharks. Drift diving makes it an easy swim.
Craig...thank you for the view and comment. I would love to go to Peleliu. I am sure there is a much more out there waiting to be found and to be giving back to the museum...thank you again for sharing.
IWO JIMA is still fascinating after all these years...Japan was very fortified there...years of prep went into that Island by those men...just sad so many died for freedoms...but ignorance is still on this planet today(1/26/20).
I have always thought Kuribyashi deserved more credit for the defense of Iwo Jima...his order to hold fire until the beach was filled with men and equipment was smart not fanatical, his order that no banzai charges were to happen cost even more US lives...when you read the letters he wrote to his son you realize he was an intelligent caring human being fighting for his country ...what a horrific and legendary battle...glad my country won and destroyed japanese militarism and fanaticism...but some of the forgotten soldiers of Japan deserve more credit.
Yes I agree, and I think Ken Watanabe portrayed him wonderfully in the movie letters from Iwo Jima. But of course as we all know, the winners write the history.
Kuribiyashi had served in the United States before World War II and was very familiar with the country. He was one of the few Japanese Army officers that argued against war with the United States. He understood that Japan had no hope of defeating the U.S. Like Yamamota, he knew the collosal industrial might the United States possessed. Furthermore, he also knew that Tojo's opinion of the U.S. military was wrong.
My dad was on Iwo after the battle. He had a camera and took one or two pics from inside the General's cave. I still have the pics. He took lots of pics on Iwo.
Doug...thank you for the view and comment. There are areas of the island that are protected. The places I went were already excavated and had archeological digs done. I was an enjoyable experience and definitely a memory that will not soon be forgotten.
Yeah, I do relic picking too (without detectors) at a ww2 battle site here in the Philippines so I find it odd as well. I would have jumped up with excitement upon seeing those unfired 50 cal bullets. But maybe he just doesn't want to excite himself when after all he could not bring those with him...
In the caves and tunnels you should use red light for better night/low light vision or halogen lamps/yellow light instead of LED lights or white light.
I have a map from my great uncle of Iwo. He was a LT in the Marines and survived the fight. The map is made of embossed rubber and shows the air fields at the time as well as the terrain.
Great video. I loved my time in Guadalcanal, following the Japanese trails through the jungle where they were moving off the island to get away from the Americans. There was loads of ordinance thrown to either side. Found a couple of caves, one was a field hospital. Tonnes of American stuff from Harley parts, Coke and Pepsi bottles, grenades, artillery shells, Marine Cross Rifle badges, buttons, safety pins you name it, it was there.all in really good condition (jungle seems to preserve the metal).
@JapanTreasureHunters1 I see... It's been 80 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima... Maybe the Japanese Self-Defense Forces recovered everything except the tanks.
gferesources...thank you for your view and comment. I am sure if I was able to go to other areas of the island I could find more but I only had about an hour a day to detect. I have other Iwo Jima videos where I found other items too.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 you would probably find more if you had gotten off the well worn patches that have already been detected a hundred times and searched by historians. I also noticed in the caves you walked rite by piles of rocks without even getting the metal detector close to then .
@@davidtownsend7501 you are correct. I would have but I was not the only one with me, so I was thinking of their safety and since detecting was not my main priority when I was there, it was only for about an hour a day, I had to do with the time I had. Actually what you didn't see is me going over those rocks. There was nothing there so I didn't show it. Thank you for your view and comment. I appreciate it very much.
I really enjoyed your video of Iwo Jima. I studied the battle extensively and saw the Clint Eastwood film. The coin was very poignant. It was probably a good luck charm of the owner who probably dies on the spot you detected and found it.
klaus...the island does not belong to the US, it is Japanese territory. I was given permission to only detect sites that were already had excavation done.
I've seen videos of Iwo during the war there. It was a bad place to be. The U.S. first thought it would take around a week to subdo and clean it up. It ended up lasting a little over a month and a lot of Marines were KIA and WIA. I have a video showing actual footage of the battle and it was so hard to watch I had to stop and turn it off. If It was possible to go visit there I don't think I could handle it...GOD BLESS the Souls of ALL the men that fought there...
107 degrees in a cave, wearing a sweater. Ugh. I wonder how many caves are untouched, because the mouths were blown and just bypassed? I’ll bet quite a few. That island seems like hallowed ground. So many thousands died there.
Awesome video is there a part two and have you been back. Also would you consider staying the night in the generals cave. And I live in VA am I allowed to go to the island
Check out my channel. I have a whole playlist of Iwo Jima videos. I have been back since 2019. As for a civilian and especially, it is almost impossible unless you have work, or part of the Anniversary they have every year.
Years ago I was stationed in Germany and used to take the "Beeper" out. I was in an old training area one day and the detector would not stop beeping. The whole field was covered with empty brass from both sides (30.06 and 8x57). Kind of dangerous in Europe, lots of live ordnance there yet.
The US used the island for amphibious training for many years before it was returned to Japan. Also, to my understanding, many of the weapons were scrapped during the Korean War. I tried to decent the Million Dollar Pit but it had long ago been sealed and we were unable to descend.
The Marines used a 22 caliber rifle for training prior to recruits firing the M1. Maybe someone carried the shells with him. Or someone brought their own 22 pistol for kicks and to have less noise in the cave. Or some goomba dropped it years later.
Derek...the General's Cave is part of an elaborate tunnel system that also includes the medical officer's cave. For those that can go out to the island, it is part of the tour of sites that everyone goes too.
Imagine if you could find the caves that were sealed by the US military as they fought across the island, imagine there a are a lot of them, sealed the holes instead of going in or possibly having someone pop out of one.
Found "A" shell casing on Iwo-Jima? I'll bet you can step on any piece of dirt on that Island that there is NOT a shell casing under foot. Must be millions of casings and bullets still there. The Island should be about 40% lead.
Nice finds. But I think your misidentifying those .22 cal casings. Those look like .30 carbine casings for the M1 Carbine rifle which were heavily used during WWII in both theaters. The USMC used carbines almost exclusively for its light weight and agility for a rifle. Too big for .22 bullets. Hmm?
Michael, I am sure that you right. I am not a big bullet guy and in fact, in my latest video I did find some .22 casings and they are really tiny. Thank you for your comment and educating me. It is nice to learn something every day and be correct in a polite manner.
I have to go out there for my job. I did the detecting on my off time. Please check out my channel for the other Iwo Jima videos. Thanks for your question.
@Forrest. Yes I am sure they mapped the ones they could get into. There is a photo from after WWII with some Marines standing in front of the General's Cave. There was a sign board with the map of the cave. It is possible to research online and find some old drawings and such. If you watch my other Cave video I posted last week, I went into that cave and a couple others, there is rope that they put inside to help people find their way through the tunnels.
@MysteryFan Yes the island is off limits to most people. Usually US military doing PME or contractors can go there. Yes nothing can leave the island. They do not check bags or anything but there is no need to remove it from the island. Everything went to the museum they have.
All the American bodies were repatriated, except for 218 MIA. Just over half of the almost 22,000 Japanese defenders bodies were recovered and repatriated. 10,000 remain MIA. A possible mass grave containing 2,000 men has been found near the current airfield.
Most people don't realize that it was populated before the war and was a sulphur mine. So most of the mines were there already, they certainly expanded them all and added more exits/entrances & connecting passages. I'm shocked tho that they didn't have a means to water production on the island or at least a sufficient means of water gathering and potability
I found the `Generals cave` quite interesting but hard to believe that a Japanese Officer of his rank would resort to crawling around on his hands and knees in what would have been his HQ, has the floor been raised or not cleared of debris?.
@alias, it could have been raised but I think it is because I am a big guy so it is possible he just had to squat to get through there. Thank you for your comment.
I can tell from your stature that you are a tall guy but after reading about how the Japanese Military, Officers, in particular treated their subordinates at that time I still find it unlikely that a General would stoop or even squat down to enter a low cave entrance to his HQ. I noticed that you were quiet easily able to walk into other caves without bending, which made me think that those floors were raised. I don`t suppose that you would get permission from the Japanese Authority`s to do any excavation work in that area because it`s no doubt regarded as a Sacred site. But thank you for your response I found your work very interesting.
@Alias...thank you again for your comment. I am sure you are correct, it is possible that floors have been raised and there has been some small cave-ins too. Also, you are correct about getting permission to excavate more. Some things they are strict about and others not so much. Thanks again for your comment.
I think you need to read a little bit more about this phase of the war, and the dedication of the japanese (officers too) to simply take a few GIs with them on the way out, Alias. If you find it hard to believe a japanese officer would 'suffer' stooping...these conditions were not simply 'back at the barracks' - Iwo was a 1-way trip, they knew it, and all that jazz went out the window in order to maximize impact.
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There was more, i saw a video just before this, of servicemen entering his quarters from another entrance. He had a little more of a shrine when they passed through.
GreatestGulag I think you’re being a little dramatic. Anyone can lose a coin. Have you never had a little hole in the pocket of your trousers? Let’s be realistic here.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
For a tour of Iwo Jima check out this video too. ruclips.net/video/ofSF463vpCQ/видео.html
Japan Treasure Hunters those look like m1 garand clips. a lvt probably probably was taken out right there.
That tunnel with the rectangle entrance (JASFD had a half link golf course out front when I was stationed there.) was way too hot from the volcano to enter when I was there but it was littered with who knows what. Poked my head in and burned my earlobes.You will find the best stuff using your eyes after the rain or a heavy storm, Red is rust, White is aluminum, Green is brass Yellow is sulfur and nitro, and Black is charcoal and gunpowder. Landmines are ceramic as well as were the small ball grenades similar to those used in the 1500s in France. Only thing on the beach is spent shells, rusty landing craft, and glass floats. That was the cave Lt. Gen. Kuribayashi retreated to when his headquarter's were overrun early in the battle. If you had gone to the right the first Tsanho had a hole with a sandstone cap. That 's I found an oil lamp. In the U.S. many people put personal safes made from concrete with cast caps in their basements and the Japanese did the same on Iwo. You probably walked by some soldiers favored possessions and didn't even know it. Next up, Hospital cave. While the excavation was on going a buddy poked his head in and said bodies were stacked up like cord wood.Best thing to find in those areas are gold capped teeth and medicine bottles.Next stop, Concrete ships. The Corps of Engineers put then there as a break water. One is purported to be Russian. I have some as builts I found online. Call me if you need a tour guide.
You don’t disturb live ammo. Walking a steep trail along a ridge on Kiska island back in 83 I disturbed an entire case of pristine ammo made in Colorado I quickly moved on. 10 fingers 10 toes.
I have a picture that my dad took from this very cave (General's cave) while he was on Iwo Jima in WWII.
Arch Stanton , that sounds cool. Awesome historical memento.
I have no idea why ppl are criticizing this video so much, u show great interest in history and i agree - even if its "just" a coin or a casing, its proof soldiers were there, fighting, dying. They are all relics connected to the big tragedy that was WW2.
Apparently, even now, the remains of 10,000 people remain there.…
Decayed rounds on the beach are .50 cal's. Big stuff. I feel you are dean-on about a supply truck maybe getting hit there.
My Father., United States Marine, 2\28th Marines, 5th Marine Division. He was in the initial landing. RIP DAD….SEMPER FI.
Our family just lost a family member who was on IWO . He past on July 23 2023 at 97 .
Just wanted to give you a great big "Thank You" for posting. As a Marine Veteran, this video makes me feel even more of a connection to my Iwo Jima Marine Brothers. To us Marines, this battle is legendary. I was on the USS Ogden in 1997 on a West Pac Deployment and we did ceremony just off the coast but I never got to walk on Iwo Jima. Again, thank you. To my brothers still on Iwo Jima, I think of you and I sincerely hope I lived up to the standards that you set. Semper Fi!
When I lived there in 1976 we would explore and log cave and ordinance finds. We also found many cases of ceramic grenades. This is an amazing place.
Rand...thank you for your view and your comment. Most of all, thank you for your service.
One of my Dad's many stories he told me about on Iwo Jima was this one particular cave close to one of the airfields. My Dad went in and ran into a deceased Japanese soldier that had been propped up by Marines to scare the bajeebers out of anyone who went in. The cave air was such that the soldier didn't decompose. My Dad said he almost shot him with his M1carbine. Brass got wind of this and they soon removed the soldier's remains.
Where over 45 thousand soldiers from both sides fell,,I bet you that while metal detecting you got Goosebumps at times from the spirit energy.
"UMC" stamped on the base of shell casings is "Union Metallic Cartridge".
My Dad , was landed as part of the Fifth Marine Corp Division 75 years ago last month and fought to survive on the very ground shown here in a "very different light ".
Life is so crazy. By the grace of God your walking around there with a metal detector free and safe. Compared to those brave young men who carried rifles and died horrible hellish deaths. God Bless those soldiers.
I like the gentle music in the back ground.Its not overpowering but adds peace.
Thanks for sharing, yes the coin adds to the story
My Dad was a coxswain on an LCT in the opening days of the battle. He never recovered from his PTSD and died in 1973. I have managed to get some "black sand" from the beach through a friend but have always dreamed of doing exactly what you are doing. Haven't seen your videos yet but bookmarked your channel. Looking forward to seeing what you saw.
Durham...Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you bookmarking and watching later. After being there and seeing the island in person, it is unbelievable the carnage that happened in the 37 days. If I could thank your father in person for his service I would but instead I will thank you on his behalf. Thank you for your service.
Joe Rosenthal brought back a glass vial with the black sand. It was on display at the Navy/Marine Corps Museum on Treasure Island.
The .45 ACP brass was from a round made by the Western Cartridge Company, if anybody is curious.
Neat adventure. Thanks. I would love to crawl though caves like that.
I cant even fathom the horrors those men went through
Somewhere on the road to Mt. Suribachi, there was a round object that I tried kicking out of the ground on my first trip there. On my second trip, there was caution tape and signs around it in Japanese and English saying something along the lines of "Unexploded bomb". I'm sure it was a dud, but man that could have sucked...
Watching your video was very interesting to me because the father of my best friend in high school was a Marine and fought in the battle if Iwo Jima and survived. He never talked about it very much but I can still remember the horrible images in the pictures he took when he was there. My friend is still alive (We are now 78 years old) but his father passed away many years ago.
Lloyd...thank you for for your view and comment. My best friend's father was in the Korean and Vietnam War and even though he didn't have picture of his time there he did tell stories. Not the same but the mental images are.
Thank you for your comment about my comment. I am a Vietnam vet myself. I served in the Army at Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam in 1969 & 70. I was a finance clerk so I thankfully, was not exposed to the things that the combat soldiers were exposed to.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1
Lloyl...Thank you for your service. Even though you may have been in finance, the support was there and if need be you would have been out there.
A huge grave.💔....
Blood soaked island where thousands of young men were literally torn apart...
Let them rest in peace 🕊️...
I was born and live on Guadalcanal and for me it has been the best playground for detecting. I have had so many great finds. It's fortunate for us that our government has banned all relics of war from leaving the country, so today there are little villages that dot the old battlefields which have set up relic stalls for people to see. My Father was a WW2 veteran in the Australian army and he fought in New Guinea and Bouganville. His unit also fought alongside some US army and marine units. He would always comment on how the Australians got on better with the Marines than the Army but they respected both equally.
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate the stories. Have a great day.
God u have an awesome opportunity to do this. I’m glad ur doing tho bc clearly u treat the place with utmost respect and clean ur litter. Don’t stop making vids like this ur literally the only person I’ve seen be able to do this
Big...thank you so much for your comment and view. I appreciate it very much.
I would be worried about finding a landmine...
Good video ! I metal detect around places in the USA. If left in the ground it’s history lost forever. Keep up the good work!
He's not destroying anything metal detecting. He's digging up history that would rot otherwise if left in the ground.
my goodness, the island is beautiful.
My father served 5 th Marines, on iwo jima he said 37 days of hell.god rest his soul.
Wow, my grandfather was 5th marines at Iwa. He'd never talk about it.
My father was there too. He told me from the movie Sands of Iwo Jima that was true was the line, "we don't know what they have there but whatever it is, they've had forty years to put it there."
5th Marine Division I hope you are talking about. 5th Marines is the 5th Marine Regiment, part of 1st Marine Division. They didn't land on Iwo Jima, but at Okinawa on April 1st 1945.
I went out to Peleliu a few years ago. Spent a week on the island diving and hiking the battle field. I used my hand held GPS to cut through the jungle (very thick) to "The Point" where Chesty Puller came ashore. I found a US Bayonet from an M-1 Garand, numerous shell casings 30.06 head stamped USMC 1943 and lot of other small items. I had no metal detector. The Japanese breast works and defense pill boxes were there still. It was surreal. My finds are in the small museum set up in the old Japanese command building. I'd go back there in a minute. Very interesting and the scuba diving is world class if you enjoy looking at fantastic coral formations, shear walls dropping far into the deep blue, sea turtles, manta rays, thousands of different tropical fish and no small number of sharks. Drift diving makes it an easy swim.
Craig...thank you for the view and comment. I would love to go to Peleliu. I am sure there is a much more out there waiting to be found and to be giving back to the museum...thank you again for sharing.
Wow, how do you get to Peleliu?
My dad was with the 1stMarDiv on Peleliu. He survived that nightmare. Passed 7-4-10 at 85.
Fascinating. Nice calm background music. These locations during battle were just total bedlam.
thoroughly enjoyable and interesting video!
Seeing these tunnels and caves makes me think that it would be better to die fighting on the surface than to wait for death in these tombs.
I’m amazed that that stuff is still there sprawled all over the beach
IWO JIMA is still fascinating after all these years...Japan was very fortified there...years of prep went into that Island by those men...just sad so many died for freedoms...but ignorance is still on this planet today(1/26/20).
I have always thought Kuribyashi deserved more credit for the defense of Iwo Jima...his order to hold fire until the beach was filled with men and equipment was smart not fanatical, his order that no banzai charges were to happen cost even more US lives...when you read the letters he wrote to his son you realize he was an intelligent caring human being fighting for his country ...what a horrific and legendary battle...glad my country won and destroyed japanese militarism and fanaticism...but some of the forgotten soldiers of Japan deserve more credit.
Yes I agree, and I think Ken Watanabe portrayed him wonderfully in the movie letters from Iwo Jima. But of course as we all know, the winners write the history.
Kuribiyashi had served in the United States before World War II and was very familiar with the country. He was one of the few Japanese Army officers that argued against war with the United States. He understood that Japan had no hope of defeating the U.S. Like Yamamota, he knew the collosal industrial might the United States possessed. Furthermore, he also knew that Tojo's opinion of the U.S. military was wrong.
My dad was on Iwo after the battle. He had a camera and took one or two pics from inside the General's cave. I still have the pics. He took lots of pics on Iwo.
Rob...Thank you for the view and comment. I also thank him and you for your service.
Can you post them somewhere?
I’m sure a lot of relics are in the areas less visited
The island had a huge population before the battle walking and working all over the place
Huge population? I didn't think there were that many, maybe a couple thousand?
Think he means troops. 25,000 is my memory is correct.
Would a ATPro work well on black sand?
Yes it worked well.
I have to believe somebody took a metal detector into this cave decades ago.
Probably a lot of somebodies.
I thought Iwo Jima was a protected site by the Japanese now, a war grave basically. This was really mind expanding. Kudos.
Doug...thank you for the view and comment. There are areas of the island that are protected. The places I went were already excavated and had archeological digs done. I was an enjoyable experience and definitely a memory that will not soon be forgotten.
are there no more landmine on the island for sure? possible to dig up explosive and die?
Aerohk...there are still landmines and UXOs....just have to be careful and know your equipment.
So to this day, that general's photo is still in that cave? No one's stolen it?
Who would steal it? And where are they going to hide when they steal it? Lol
He picked up a few corroded rifle bullet casings ,yet showed no interest in what appeared to be a quantity of 50 cal bullets?
Yeah, I do relic picking too (without detectors) at a ww2 battle site here in the Philippines so I find it odd as well. I would have jumped up with excitement upon seeing those unfired 50 cal bullets. But maybe he just doesn't want to excite himself when after all he could not bring those with him...
In the caves and tunnels you should use red light for better night/low light vision or halogen lamps/yellow light instead of LED lights or white light.
I have a map from my great uncle of Iwo. He was a LT in the Marines and survived the fight. The map is made of embossed rubber and shows the air fields at the time as well as the terrain.
Lunch Money...thank you for the view and comment. That is a real neat piece of history you hold. Might be museum quality.
Great video. I loved my time in Guadalcanal, following the Japanese trails through the jungle where they were moving off the island to get away from the Americans. There was loads of ordinance thrown to either side. Found a couple of caves, one was a field hospital. Tonnes of American stuff from Harley parts, Coke and Pepsi bottles, grenades, artillery shells, Marine Cross Rifle badges, buttons, safety pins you name it, it was there.all in really good condition (jungle seems to preserve the metal).
Was everything okay?
The rocks and sand from Iwo Jima...
There's a risk that if you bring them home,
you'll be cursed.
Thank you for the message. Nothing left the island.
@JapanTreasureHunters1
I see... It's been 80 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima... Maybe the Japanese Self-Defense Forces recovered everything except the tanks.
Unfortunately they do not do any excavating. They pretty much leave things as they are.
@JapanTreasureHunters1
I think that would be better for the sake of those who died in battle...
just a question about a number of finds... only those casing ? here in Italy we find tons of shells in areas that aren't from great battles..
gferesources...thank you for your view and comment. I am sure if I was able to go to other areas of the island I could find more but I only had about an hour a day to detect. I have other Iwo Jima videos where I found other items too.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 !! it seams strange to me the lack of metal debris. Now underestand. yes I saw your video they are outstanding, keep posting
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 you would probably find more if you had gotten off the well worn patches that have already been detected a hundred times and searched by historians. I also noticed in the caves you walked rite by piles of rocks without even getting the metal detector close to then .
@@davidtownsend7501 you are correct. I would have but I was not the only one with me, so I was thinking of their safety and since detecting was not my main priority when I was there, it was only for about an hour a day, I had to do with the time I had. Actually what you didn't see is me going over those rocks. There was nothing there so I didn't show it. Thank you for your view and comment. I appreciate it very much.
I really enjoyed your video of Iwo Jima. I studied the battle extensively and saw the Clint Eastwood film. The coin was very poignant. It was probably a good luck charm of the owner who probably dies on the spot you detected and found it.
i was under the impression this is a state/federal park area and detecting isnt allowed?
klaus...the island does not belong to the US, it is Japanese territory. I was given permission to only detect sites that were already had excavation done.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 fascinating, thanks!
Never heard of a .22 shell casing that had a date on it. Looks like a .30 carbine casing to me (and they would have a date).
Agreed - a .22 (?) - strange indeed, yet there it is. Perhaps later years in tunnel exploration - rats? Never seen one with date either.
Somebody needs a pinpointer
Were did al the p51 wreaks disappear to that were on the beach ,
There is not any wrecks on the beaches that could be seen.
I've seen videos of Iwo during the war there. It was a bad place to be. The U.S. first thought it would take around a week to subdo and clean it up. It ended up lasting a little over a month and a lot of Marines were KIA and WIA. I have a video showing actual footage of the battle and it was so hard to watch I had to stop and turn it off. If It was possible to go visit there I don't think I could handle it...GOD BLESS the Souls of ALL the men that fought there...
a .22 casing ? you sure about that ? i didn't know any guns used by us or japanese used that caliber
Its 30 carbine
M1 carbine maybe
M1 Carbine used a .30 caliber souped up pistol round.
The Japanese Ariska rifle used.25 rounds. Perhaps they were rifle casings.
107 degrees in a cave, wearing a sweater. Ugh. I wonder how many caves are untouched, because the mouths were blown and just bypassed? I’ll bet quite a few.
That island seems like hallowed ground.
So many thousands died there.
Are the caves natural or did the Japanese hollow them out?
Some of them are natural around Mt. Suribachi but just about all them were dug by the Japanese.
Awesome video is there a part two and have you been back. Also would you consider staying the night in the generals cave. And I live in VA am I allowed to go to the island
Check out my channel. I have a whole playlist of Iwo Jima videos. I have been back since 2019. As for a civilian and especially, it is almost impossible unless you have work, or part of the Anniversary they have every year.
Years ago I was stationed in Germany and used to take the "Beeper" out. I was in an old training area one day and the detector would not stop beeping. The whole field was covered with empty brass from both sides (30.06 and 8x57). Kind of dangerous in Europe, lots of live ordnance there yet.
Where in Germany you were stationed?
The US used the island for amphibious training for many years before it was returned to Japan. Also, to my understanding, many of the weapons were scrapped during the Korean War. I tried to decent the Million Dollar Pit but it had long ago been sealed and we were unable to descend.
What do you do with things you find related to ww2?
Daniel...everything I found was left for the museum on the island.
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, etc.
The 22 caliber shell casings are a bit puzzling... I would have suspected you would have found tons of empty 30 caliber shells
Just by looking at them on video and with them having a dated headstamp, I am speculating they are indeed .30 carbine.
The Marines used a 22 caliber rifle for training prior to recruits firing the M1. Maybe someone carried the shells with him. Or someone brought their own 22 pistol for kicks and to have less noise in the cave.
Or some goomba dropped it years later.
Obviously .30 Carbine when you see their size relative to the .45 ACP. Have you guys who think it’s .22 ever actually seen a .22 case?
@@joeconrad3828 whoa
.30 cal M1 Carbine casings
The General's Cave would be Sacred Ground....
I am suprised, the Japanese allowed him inside there to be honest !!
🤔😳
Derek...the General's Cave is part of an elaborate tunnel system that also includes the medical officer's cave. For those that can go out to the island, it is part of the tour of sites that everyone goes too.
How did they manage to concretize these tunnels my god
@Eric Zombrow 👍
Yeah both he and Yamamoto knew Japan wouldn't have much of a chance if the US industrial capacity got going, but they had to do their duty.
It's odd to find .22 shells there. It's not a round suited for combat. I wonder if they were left there in the years after the battle.
.22 is known as the assassins round.
The standard Arisaka rifle fired .25 calibre rounds.
Ka-Bar was there. You couldn't get me into those caves in a million years. 😄
Saw video on Military Channel 5 or so years ago and they mentioned that you were not supposed to disturb any artifacts you come across.
It depended on the location on the island. Also one of the rules out there is nothing except sand leaves the island.
I thought Iwo was a protected and sacred military sanctuary like Gettysburg. How were you able to get permission to metal detect there?
Japan Treasure Hunters understood, they view Iwo like we view Arlington.
I’m a military historian who would very much like to visit Iwo. Can you please give me advice on how you gained permission?
Thanks. Where can I find your email address?
Of the 22,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo at the start of the battle, only 216 were taken prisoner...The rest were killed or committed suicide
Camerawork in the caves may have been better due to the cameraman aiming at the light too often. It did improve later on!
Imagine if you could find the caves that were sealed by the US military as they fought across the island, imagine there a are a lot of them, sealed the holes instead of going in or possibly having someone pop out of one.
Found "A" shell casing on Iwo-Jima? I'll bet you can step on any piece of dirt on that Island that there is NOT a shell casing under foot. Must be millions of casings and bullets still there. The Island should be about 40% lead.
Nice finds. But I think your misidentifying those .22 cal casings. Those look like .30 carbine casings for the M1 Carbine rifle which were heavily used during WWII in both theaters. The USMC used carbines almost exclusively for its light weight and agility for a rifle. Too big for .22 bullets. Hmm?
Michael, I am sure that you right. I am not a big bullet guy and in fact, in my latest video I did find some .22 casings and they are really tiny. Thank you for your comment and educating me. It is nice to learn something every day and be correct in a polite manner.
Agree.
The Arisaka rifle used by Imperial Japan fired a .25 calibre round.
N\S very nice content and hunt well done! My wife is Japanese and we live in Crete Greece keep on digging mate Nice cave hunt 🤙🏖🇬🇷💙
Beach Metal Detecting Crete...thank you so much for your comment and view. I am glad you enjoyed the video. I will check out your channel.
The .22 might be M1 carbine, .45 is Thompson and Colt1911, .38 some type of revolver.
M1 Carbine was .30 caliber not .22. I believe those were Japanese .25 caliber rounds, standard rifle caliber for Japanese rifles and pistols.
In that museum in Iwo, what were some other finds that were of interest?
Please watch the video pinned above. I go through the museum that is there.
How did you get permission to get on the island?
I have to go out there for my job. I did the detecting on my off time. Please check out my channel for the other Iwo Jima videos. Thanks for your question.
Japan Treasure Hunters do you know if anyone has mapped the tunnels.
@Forrest. Yes I am sure they mapped the ones they could get into. There is a photo from after WWII with some Marines standing in front of the General's Cave. There was a sign board with the map of the cave. It is possible to research online and find some old drawings and such. If you watch my other Cave video I posted last week, I went into that cave and a couple others, there is rope that they put inside to help people find their way through the tunnels.
I was just about to ask the same question.
@MysteryFan Yes the island is off limits to most people. Usually US military doing PME or contractors can go there. Yes nothing can leave the island. They do not check bags or anything but there is no need to remove it from the island. Everything went to the museum they have.
Cool beans , as a former I'd like going there
I like your vid, it seems more natural. The big youtubers have too much professional editing that it stops looking genuine.
Thank you. Appreciate the comment. Glad you enjoyed.
How many body were removed from the island America and Japanese just wondering
ALOT!
All the American bodies were repatriated, except for 218 MIA. Just over half of the almost 22,000 Japanese defenders bodies were recovered and repatriated. 10,000 remain MIA. A possible mass grave containing 2,000 men has been found near the current airfield.
Repsect to every soioder that was there that day
4/16/20
Respect
The Japanese sure did extensive work on the caves and other fortifications before the battle.
Paul again thank you for your comments, they are very well appreciated. Have a great day.
Most people don't realize that it was populated before the war and was a sulphur mine. So most of the mines were there already, they certainly expanded them all and added more exits/entrances & connecting passages. I'm shocked tho that they didn't have a means to water production on the island or at least a sufficient means of water gathering and potability
Why u gotta be digging up everything shouldn't be messed with
Those shell casings are .30 carbine not .22👍
Wout...thank you for the correction. I appreciate it very much.
@@JapanTreasureHunters1 no problem, loved the video really interesting to see what's all left on the island till this day
I guess you can't get around the sides of the hills. Looks like you could walk across shrapnel from the Navy shelling.
Amazing how the bullets are just lying on the surface. Reminds you of the hell that happened there
素晴らしい調査です！
おむさんのコメントとご意見ありがとうございました！ 大変感謝しております。
Respect to both sides... And there ideologies
I found the `Generals cave` quite interesting but hard to believe that a Japanese Officer of his rank would resort to crawling around on his hands and knees in what would have been his HQ, has the floor been raised or not cleared of debris?.
@alias, it could have been raised but I think it is because I am a big guy so it is possible he just had to squat to get through there. Thank you for your comment.
I can tell from your stature that you are a tall guy but after reading about how the Japanese Military, Officers, in particular treated their subordinates at that time I still find it unlikely that a General would stoop or even squat down to enter a low cave entrance to his HQ. I noticed that you were quiet easily able to walk into other caves without bending, which made me think that those floors were raised. I don`t suppose that you would get permission from the Japanese Authority`s to do any excavation work in that area because it`s no doubt regarded as a Sacred site. But thank you for your response I found your work very interesting.
@Alias...thank you again for your comment. I am sure you are correct, it is possible that floors have been raised and there has been some small cave-ins too. Also, you are correct about getting permission to excavate more. Some things they are strict about and others not so much. Thanks again for your comment.
I think you need to read a little bit more about this phase of the war, and the dedication of the japanese (officers too) to simply take a few GIs with them on the way out, Alias. If you find it hard to believe a japanese officer would 'suffer' stooping...these conditions were not simply 'back at the barracks' - Iwo was a 1-way trip, they knew it, and all that jazz went out the window in order to maximize impact.
They are built small on purpose. When attacked it is easier to defend against one soldier crawling through then several with more freedom to move.
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Deixando aquele GIGA 👍🏼🇧🇷
Muito obrigado pelo seu ótimo comentário. Nós agredecemos muito. Boa sorte e boa caça para você!
4:10 he deserves more than that 😢
There was more, i saw a video just before this, of servicemen entering his quarters from another entrance. He had a little more of a shrine when they passed through.
One of the best generals in ww2
@@AlfredoReyes-eb5tbyeah
R.I.P General
They were all lied to by their gov aswell its so sad I wish so many more surrendered and saved themselves
how does does one,bring a 4 wheel drive to iwo Jima and metal detect I wanna do it !!! ?
If that quarter was found in a cave, that could mean that a Marine was captured, dragged down into a cave and lost the coin there.
Or a American captured it and dropped a coin.
GreatestGulag I think you’re being a little dramatic. Anyone can lose a coin. Have you never had a little hole in the pocket of your trousers? Let’s be realistic here.
It’s a top pocket , Johnny B Dazzler !!
I want to go here more than life itself
I’m sure the whole island has been detected by now.
I cried when I see the generals cave
Why?
I cried knowing how many Americans lost their lives on Iwo