History of the Marine Corps

In the spring of 1945, the Battle of Okinawa became the bloodiest fight of the Pacific War. What was meant to be the final step toward Japan turned into a storm of mud, coral, and fire that tested every limit of courage and endurance.

This episode follows the Marines through the final weeks of the campaign. It is a story of bravery and exhaustion, of shattered armies and civilians trapped between them, of generals who chose death over surrender, and of the staggering…

In the spring of 1945, the Battle of Okinawa became the bloodiest fight of the Pacific War. What was meant to be the final step toward Japan turned into a storm of mud, coral, and fire that tested every limit of courage and endurance.

This episode follows the Marines through the final weeks of the campaign. It is a story of bravery and exhaustion, of shattered armies and civilians trapped between them, of generals who chose death over surrender, and of the staggering…

By May 1945, Okinawa had become a war of exhaustion. The island’s southern ridges, scarred by months of bombardment, hid Japan’s last and strongest defensive line. When the Tenth Army resumed its drive on 11 May, the Marines faced terrain as deadly as any in the Pacific.

To the east, the 1st Marine Division attacked into Wana Draw, a maze of ravines and caves leading toward…