There was an interesting and poignant documentary on the PBS television channel the other day, called A Final Landing on Iwo Jima. A Final Landing on Iwo Jima. It followed a 100-year-old veteran of the 1945 battle who was returning to the island along with a man whose late father fought there. I think visits to Iwo Jima (which was eventually returned to the Japanese) are restricted, so it was quite informative to see how it looks, compared with the familiar battlefield footage. Basically, it remains a dark, foreboding volcanic landscape and the crumbling black sand beaches which greeted the invading US Marines are as unforgiving as ever. You can only pity those who fought and died in such a hellhole.
I watched this documentary as well. Very good, worth a viewing. tmac is right, a very foreboding place.
