List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Battle of Iwo Jima
The Imperial Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified. There were vast bunkers with hidden artillery. It had 18 kilometers (11 mi) of tunnels. The battle was the first American attack on the Japanese Home Islands. The Imperial soldiers defended their positions tenaciously. Of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers present at the beginning of the battle, over 20,000 were killed. Only 216 were taken prisoner.