Something you might not know about Tokyo Rose and Iwo Jima.

in tokyo •  2 years ago 

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The Fifth Marines landed on Iwo Jima on Feb 19, 1945. The fighting, the losses, the carnage, all legendary. What most don't know --

Everyone had confidence in the careful security of the planning, because by 1945 the American military had succeeded in surprising the Axis on several other famous occasions.

But on the night before the Iwo landing, the Fifth marines were invited by the Navy crew of their transport down to the ship's mess hall to have a coffee and donuts get together. Tokyo Rose was playing her American music on the radio, and one marine remembers the chill he felt when the lady herself, between Andrews Sisters records, said loud and clear (into the microphone now owned by Glenn Beck)

"welcome, men of the Fifth Marine division, to Iwo Jima".

The Japanese knew, at least the night before, that the landing on Iwo was the next morning... and they knew who was coming.

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