In March 2025, I had the rare privilege of visiting the island of Iwo Jima with my brother for the 80th Reunion of Honor.
Only a limited number of visitors are permitted on the island one day each year for this solemn occasion. As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps, the 2025 Reunion of Honor was both a milestone for the Corps and a tribute to those who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The reunion brought together dignitaries from Japan and the United States, along with U.S. Marines and members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces from across the generations - from those who served during World War II to those currently on active duty. Their stories were a living testament to the struggles experienced during the battle.
In attendance was Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who said, "The U.S.-Japan Alliance shows those brave men of 1945 how yesterday’s enemy has become today’s friend. Our alliance has been, and remains, the cornerstone of freedom, prosperity, security and peace in the Indo-Pacific. And it will continue."
The history of the battle came into sharper focus as our plane circled the island before landing.
The exhausting walk from the airfield hangar across the island - and the climb to the top of Mount Suribachi - seared into my mind the vision of the Marines who fought here. I imagined many of them teenagers, burdened with camouflaged steel helmets, 782 gear, loaded cartridge belts, grenades, rifles, flamethrowers and machine guns, scrambling across unfamiliar terrain against a deeply entrenched enemy.