The last several years have featured milestone anniversaries for some of the fiercest and most memorable events of World War II including the attack on Pearl Harbor, D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. We continue to reflect on them because they forever changed the course of history.

Another pivotal moment in the conflict that defined a generation and posed an existential threat to freedom marks its 80th anniversary in 2025 – the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The war’s Pacific theater gave us two of the most dramatic scenes of the 20th century; the first glimpses of deployed nuclear weapons when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and an iconic photograph of six marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi – an enduring symbol of courage and resilience that still moves us today.

Over 70,000 U.S. marines, supported by thousands of other servicemembers, stormed the island to achieve control of the regional waters and strategic airfields from which Allied forces could launch aerial attacks on other Japanese targets. The island was well fortified, including miles of underground tunnels and bunkers.

The carnage that unfolded during the weeks-long amphibious assault was gruesome. Nearly 7,000 Americans died while only slightly more than 200 Japanese survivors, out of a force that had numbered around 21,000, were left at the surrender.

This toll reminds us of the heroism and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, including the Arkansans who bravely, selflessly fought on Iwo Jima’s beaches, valleys and hills. Two Natural State Medal of Honor recipients represent the scope and scale of what our troops faced there. 

Navy Corpsman Jack Smith from Harrison served as a medic with one of the marine divisions invading the island. Smith had already aided over a dozen marines when he stopped to help his wounded former tent-mate, covering the man with his own body and getting shot three times by enemy fire. Yet Smith finished rendering him aid before addressing his own injuries, eventually perishing from a sniper’s bullet. 

Wilson Douglas Watson of Crittenden County, a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) gunner, displayed tremendous fortitude in dramatic fashion. As his squadron was pinned down in battle, he charged a Japanese-held fort alone and successfully cleared the way for his platoon to advance. The next day, Watson undertook a similar risk under heavy fire and killed 60 enemy combatants before receiving backup. He was gravely injured later on but survived.

They were not alone, but their incredible heroism characterized the fight at Iwo Jima. They and many others exemplified Admiral Chester Nimitz’s reflection as a display where “uncommon valor was a common virtue” among the U.S. servicemembers who waged the battle. 

Countless Americans have been inspired to stand for freedom and cherish the memories of fallen warriors since then. My office has been committed to sharing and preserving some of their stories through the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress that captures their oral histories for future generations.

This month, I was honored to join many of my Senate colleagues in leading a resolution marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Its heroes – part of our Greatest Generation – endured almost unimaginable circumstances in the course of answering the call to defend our country and way of life. 

It is a privilege to recognize them and reflect on their service and sacrifice. They rose to the occasion and truly helped save the world, for which we owe them our eternal gratitude.