In 1945 her grandfather Iwo Jima stormed, 80 years later she follows his traces

In 1945 her grandfather Iwo Jima stormed, 80 years later she follows his traces

In the early spring morning, when the air was damp and warm, Jessamyn Harter strapped a worn Canvas backpack and set off to a 168-meter-high mountain on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. She didn't have much time, but she was on a personal mission. In order to commemorate her grandfather, she wanted to use IWO Jima at any moment. It was the only day this year on which US citizens were able to visit the island that was reserved for a selected group as part of a tour that starts from the US territory Guam.

The meaning of iwo Jima

In 1968, IWO Jima, which was renamed Iwo-to in 2007, was returned to Japan by the United States. The name in Japanese means "sulfur island" and was the scene of one of the most important and bloodiest battles of the Second World War. On February 19, 1945, 70,000 members of the 4th and 5th US Marine divisions stormed the black volcanic beaches of IWO Jima, where they met the imperial Japanese armed forces to defend the island and its landingways. Only about 750 miles from Japan's mainland, Iwo Jima was considered the decisive strategic goal in the Pacific - and the pictures of the battle became iconic symbols, such as the Us Marine Corps was memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The moving story of Marty Connor

among the US marines that landed on IWO that day was 18-year-old Marty Connor from Syracuse, New York. It was his first real combat mission to survive the full 36 days of battle. He later built up a successful insurance company, married and founded a family. Marty Connor was not only a survivor of the battle, but also the grandfather of Jessamyn Harter.

half a century for peace

in 1970 Connor returned to the island with his wife and around 30 other marines to take part in a meeting known as “Reunion of Honor”. On Mount Suribachi, the location of the famous flag rectification from the iconic photo of Joe Rosenthal, Connor and his comrades shook hands with the Japanese veterans of the battle. These former bitter enemies showed mutual respect and Connor learned of a movement of the “souvenirs” that had been taken by the corpses of fallen enemies to return to their families in Japan.

When Connor watched in 1970, as a Marine Souvenirs returned to a Japanese family, he thought of the souvenirs he had at home. 25 years after the battle, he finally knew what to do with them. He packed some of his own souvenirs and sent them to a former imperial naval captain who became a Buddhist monk, tsunezō wachi . This was looking for recognizable markings on the objects to find the surviving families.

the visit in honor of the inheritance

On Saturday, March 29th, Jessamyn Harter began her long and challenging day at 3:30 a.m. in Guam. The charter flight of United Airlines, organized by the IWO Jima Association of America and a tour company, brought over 100 passengers to IWO Jima. Harter looked at the small island from her window and thought: "You could almost pinch her with your fingers". The island looked surprisingly green compared to the bare landscape of the battle, while nature has gradually recaptured in the 80 years since the bombing of IWO Jima.

To climb the summit of Mount Suribachi and enter the famous beaches, Harter only had about five hours to cover a distance of around 16 kilometers. She had to make a decision: she could not attend both sights and at the same time take part in the Reunion of Honor, which this year included both the incumbent US defense minister and the Japanese Minister of Defense, as well as the Japanese Prime Minister shigeru ishiba .

an emotional experience

Harter opted for Suribachi: "Because the first Reunion of Honor, in which my grandfather took part, took place on the summit of Mount Suribachi." When she reached the summit, she found herself in tears. She carried objects from her grandfather, including the original Canvas backpack, which he had worn during the 36 days of battle-now he had spent 37 days on IWO, she noticed smiling. Her memorabilia also included one of his badges of the 5th Marine division and a small prayer book that he had kept in his uniform bag.

Harter reached one of the landing beaches and settled on the hot, stony, black volcanic sand to think about what happened. "I feel that I was given a gift that not many people receive," she said back in Guam the next day. "And to be honest ... as soon as I entered the beach, I didn't feel worthy. I didn't feel that I would deserve to be there. I think that every USMC veteran has the right to enter this island. This is her inheritance. This is her foundation."