More than 70 years ago, United States Marines landed on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima during World War II. Those men were honored at the state house Wednesday at a ceremony hosted by the Marine Corps League.
Six of the more than 110,000 marines who fought in the bloody battle received praise at the ceremony. The 36-day battle, which began Feb. 19 1945, took the lives of nearly 7,000 Marines and left more than 20,000 injured. The men would go on to capture the island from Japanese forces.
Few who survived the carnage of the battle remain, among them 92 year-old Larry Kirby, who spoke at the event.
“So as we leave, one by one, please try – I beseech you to try to keep some small memory of those brave young boys who gave so much so long ago,” Kirby remarked.
Governor Charlie Baker was among those attending the ceremony, commending the men for their bravery.
"Men and women like you – since the start of this nation’s history – and their families have been willing to sign up and put themselves in harm’s way to defend our freedoms and our way of life," Baker said. "And yeah, I’m honored to be here but I can’t say how insignificant I feel in the grant scheme of who you are and what you’ve done and what your families have done."
