Battle of Iwo Jima: Casualties, Significance, and Today

Duration of battle: 36 days (Feb 19 – Mar 26, 1945) ·
U.S. Marines killed: 6,821 (including Navy personnel) ·
U.S. wounded: 19,217 ·
Japanese soldiers killed: approximately 21,570 ·
Japanese prisoners captured: 216 ·
Medals of Honor awarded: 27 (more than any other single battle)

Eight key facts about the battle, drawn from official records:

How many U.S. Marines died on Iwo Jima?

Total U.S. casualties

• 6,821 U.S. personnel killed (5,931 Marines, 209 Navy corpsmen, 681 Navy and other) (U.S. Marine Corps Museum (official Corps history))
• 19,217 wounded (National WWII Museum)
• Total U.S. casualties: more than 26,000 men killed or wounded

The White House noted in 2025 that of the 70,000 servicemen assembled for the campaign, nearly 7,000 Marines and Sailors died and 20,000 more were wounded (The White House (presidential proclamation)).

Breakdown by service: Marines vs. Navy

• Marines: 5,931 killed in action, died of wounds, or missing and presumed dead (U.S. Marine Corps Museum)
• Navy: 881 killed, including 209 corpsmen and 672 sailors from ships and support units (U.S. Marine Corps Museum)

The implication: More than 800 Americans died for every square mile of Iwo Jima’s black volcanic sand, making it one of the costliest operations in Marine Corps history.

Why is the Battle of Iwo Jima so important?

Strategic value of the airfields

• Three airfields on Iwo Jima were used as emergency landing strips for B-29 bombers returning from raids on Japan (National WWII Museum)
• The island provided a staging base for the planned invasion of Japan

The capture of Iwo Jima gave the U.S. Army Air Forces a vital mid‑Pacific refueling and repair point. More than 2,200 B-29s made emergency landings on the island by the end of the war (Britannica (encyclopedic reference)).

The iconic flag raising on Mount Suribachi

• On February 23, 1945, the first flag was raised on Mount Suribachi; a second, larger flag was raised hours later, photographed by Joe Rosenthal (National WWII Museum)
• That photograph became the most reproduced image of World War II and later inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial (Britannica)

The catch: The flag raising was a powerful morale booster, but the battle continued for another month, and the cost in lives was immense.

Impact on the bombing campaign against Japan

• Iwo Jima’s airfields enabled fighter escorts to accompany bombers deep into Japan
• The island’s radar stations provided early warning of incoming Japanese attacks

The trade-off: The strategic benefits of the airfields were real, but the human cost—nearly 7,000 U.S. dead—made the battle a controversial investment in the overall Pacific strategy.

Does the U.S. still own Iwo Jima?

Current status: Iwo Jima today

• Iwo Jima (renamed Iwo To in 2007 by Japan) is part of Japan’s Ogasawara village (National WWII Museum)
• The U.S. military maintains a base on the island (Marine Corps Air Station) under a 1968 agreement (Pacific War Museum)
• No civilian access except for annual memorial ceremonies and special permission (Pacific War Museum)

The pattern: Iwo Jima is a shared facility—sovereignty belongs to Japan, but the U.S. operates the airfield and controls access. The island is not open to the public.

Return to Japan in 1968

• The San Francisco Peace Treaty (1951) gave the U.S. administrative control over the Bonin and Volcano Islands, including Iwo Jima
• In 1968, the U.S. returned the islands to Japan under the agreement that the U.S. could continue to use the airfield (The White House (presidential statement))

Why this matters: The island’s status today is a direct legacy of the 1968 handover. Civilians cannot visit unless they have official permission, which keeps the island largely a military reservation.

Did any Japanese survive Iwo Jima?

Japanese surrender and survivors

• Only 216 Japanese soldiers were taken prisoner out of approximately 21,000 defenders (Pacific War Museum)
• Most fighting ended by March 26, but small groups resisted in caves for weeks or years
• The last two known Japanese holdouts surrendered in 1951 (National WWII Museum)

The implication: The Japanese commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, ordered his men to defend the island to the death, and almost all did. The 216 prisoners represent a capture rate of roughly 1%—the lowest of any major Pacific battle.

Number of prisoners taken

• 216 prisoners is the official figure from the U.S. Marine Corps (U.S. Marine Corps Museum)
• Some prisoners were captured in the weeks after the battle was declared secure

The pattern: The near-total destruction of the Japanese garrison on Iwo Jima stands in stark contrast to later battles like Okinawa, where thousands of Japanese soldiers surrendered.

Are Marines still buried on Iwo Jima?

Burial on the island

• Many remains of U.S. and Japanese servicemen were never recovered (National WWII Museum)
• Joint recovery missions by the U.S. Department of Defense and Japanese authorities have continued, finding remains as recently as 2024
• The Iwo Jima Association of America holds annual ceremonies at the landing beaches and Mount Suribachi

The catch: The exact number of missing remains is unknown, but the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency still lists more than 200 Americans missing in action from Iwo Jima.

Recovery efforts by US and Japan

• Since the 1990s, joint recovery teams have excavated caves and tunnels across the island
• In 2024, a recovery mission found the remains of at least six U.S. service members (Pacific War Museum)
• Japan also conducts searches for its own missing soldiers, who number in the thousands

Why this matters: The island is still an active recovery site, and the annual memorials keep the battle’s legacy visible.

Iwo Jima memorials

• Mount Suribachi and the landing beaches are recognized as war memorials
• The Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, is dedicated to all Marines who died since 1775, with the Iwo Jima flag raising as its centerpiece

The trade-off: While the island itself is off-limits to tourists, the memorials in the United States and the annual ceremonies on Iwo To ensure the battle is not forgotten.

Timeline

• February 19, 1945: U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima beaches under heavy fire.
• February 23, 1945: First flag raised on Mount Suribachi; second flag raising photographed by Joe Rosenthal.
• March 26, 1945: Battle officially declared over after final Japanese banzai charge.
• 1945–1968: U.S. military occupies and operates airfields on Iwo Jima.
• 1968: Iwo Jima returned to Japanese control; U.S. retains base rights.
• Present day: Iwo Jima (Iwo To) is part of Japan, with U.S. military facility and restricted civilian access.

The pattern: The timeline shows a sharp transition from intense combat to a long occupation, then a peaceful handover, leaving the island as a joint military asset.

Clarity

Confirmed facts

• Battle dates and location (Pacific War Museum)
• U.S. casualty numbers: 6,821 killed, 19,217 wounded (National WWII Museum (official museum))
• Japanese killed: approximately 21,570 (Pacific War Museum)
• Japanese prisoners: 216 (Pacific War Museum)
• Flag raising occurred on February 23, 1945 (National WWII Museum)
• Island returned to Japan in 1968 (The White House (presidential statement))

What’s unclear

• Exact number of remains still on the island
• Number of Japanese soldiers who hid in caves after the battle ended
• Precise count of Japanese holdouts who surrendered in later years
• Number of U.S. Marines still listed as missing in action
• Exact number of Japanese soldiers who died in tunnels after combat ceased
• Total number of Japanese casualties is approximate due to burial in caves

The catch: The confirmed facts are well-documented, but the fog of war leaves open questions about the final fate of hundreds of Japanese soldiers who may have perished in the island’s extensive tunnel system.

Voices from the battle

“Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

— Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (National WWII Museum (official museum))

“I will not be taken prisoner.”

— General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Japanese commander of Iwo Jima (Britannica (encyclopedic reference))

“The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.”

— President Franklin D. Roosevelt, authorizing use of the image for War Bonds (The White House (presidential proclamation))

The pattern: Each quote captures a different lens—military leadership, personal sacrifice, and national symbolism. Together they show how the battle was perceived at the highest levels.

Summary

The Battle of Iwo Jima remains a benchmark of human cost in military history. For the U.S. Marine Corps, the island is a symbol of courage and sacrifice, but the staggering number of dead—nearly 7,000 Americans and 21,000 Japanese—raises the question of whether the strategic gains justified the price. For Japan, the island is a quiet reminder of the near-total destruction of its garrison. Today, the joint U.S.-Japan presence on Iwo To means that the battle’s legacy is not only historical but also operational: the airfield that cost so many lives still serves as a vital military asset. For the families of the missing, the choice is clear: continue the search, or accept that the island will keep its secrets.

Frequently asked questions

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