Dozens of U.S. veterans, now in their 80s and 90s, returned to the remote volcanic island of Iwo Jima this week to mark the 65th anniversary of one of World War II's fiercest battles.
The veterans, some in wheelchairs, flew to the island, officially called Iwoto in Japan, on a chartered airliner Wednesday and fanned out across its famous black-sand beaches, where the U.S. invasion began on Feb. 19, 1945, and lasted 36 days. All told, the battle claimed nearly 28,000 lives.
They were also taken to the top of Mount Suribachi, where the famous image of the American flag being raised was taken, before joining a joint memorial with U.S. and Japanese dignitaries.