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The War
Iwo Jima: Eight Square Miles of Rock and Ash
To protect B-29 bombers striking Japan, American commanders wanted Iwo Jima taken. On February 19, 1945, after 72 days of bombing, the Marines landed and met some 21,000 Japanese troops dug into tunnels and bunkers. The fight lasted nearly a month and cost 6,821 American lives. Of the 16 men in Sgt. Ray Pittman's squad, only three remained.
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1:28:19
President Johnson escalates the war while promising the public that victory is in sight.
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2:07:27
Germany and the Japanese surrender too and millions try to learn to live without war.
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1:59:26
By mid March, 1945, they are across the Rhine, while Russians are 50 miles from Berlin.
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2:19:15
On D-Day, 1.5 million Allied troops take part in the greatest invasion in history.
