IWO JIMA: RED BLOOD/BLACK SAND (Cal Image Marketing, $33.50)
The horrors and triumphs of one of the most famous battles of the Pacific Theater during World War II is vividly recreated in this video, which includes interviews with 23 survivors. These U.S. Marine Corpsveterans tell the story of the struggle for Iwo Jima–an island 650 miles southeast of Tokyo–which was part of the Allied effort to move the war closer to the Japanese homeland. On February 19, 1945, a massive American military force,which would find itself confronted by approximately 22,000 entrenched Japanese troops, began an amphibious assault on the island. Expected to take only a few days, the campaign lasted more than a month and resulted in more than a third of the Marines–almost 6,000 killed and more than 17,000 wounded–becoming casualties. Historic photographs and black-and-white, as well as color film footage graphically illustrate the sometimes emotional testimony of the veterans of one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history. This video is available only by calling 800-982-1420.
