Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hailed the “shared warrior ethos” between the US and Japan Saturday on Iwo Jiwa, where he attended a memorial service for those who died in the bloody and pivotal World War II battle on its 80th anniversary.
“Over 80,000 Marines, soldiers, and sailors from our two countries fought at Iwo Jima. More than 26,000 died here. Today, we revere their courage. Today, we remember their valor and sacrifice,” Hegseth said during the service.
Iwo Jima embodies “our shared devotion to the nation, and to duty and our shared reverence for the men of valor who preceded us,” continued Hegseth, who was joined by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, and other officials at the Reunion of Honor event.
Six veterans — all around 100 years old — also attended the memorial for the battle which was fought from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945.
Charles Cram, a Navy corpsman, was shot in the leg by a Japanese sniper a few days after landing on the remote island — where some 250 Marines were also killed in that short span.
“I felt some sadness in my heart that I realized that this is one of the futilities of war,” said Cram, 99, who brought a flag he took from an Japanese soldier and gave it to an official at the service.
Hegseth said the alliance between the two nations — more critical than ever amid increasing threats by China — is the “cornerstone of freedom, prosperity, security and peace in the Indo-Pacific.”
“The U.S.-Japan alliance shows how yesterday’s enemy has become today’s friends,” he added.
In February, President Trump hosted Ishiba at the White House and spoke about their need to secure the region via their relations with allies, including with Australia, India, South Korea and the Philippines.
Trump sees Japan as an integral part in keeping US interests safe in the Indo-Pacific as China has been flexing its muscles in the South China Sea, a major trade route.
Hegseth who is on his first trip to Asia, called out “China’s aggression in the region” in the Philippines on Friday, and emphasized the importance of bolstering the US alliance with Manila.
The US-Japan relationship is also vital to opposing Russian and North Korean aggression in the region. China, Russia and North Korea have grown closer in recent years.
Moscow has sent North Korean troops to fight in the war in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have had close communication.
On Sunday, Hegseth will hold talks with Nakatani in Tokyo to discuss further strengthening the US-Japan alliance.
“We must not forget that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today have been built upon the noble sacrifices of those who died in the war and the tireless efforts of the people over the past 80 years since the end of the war,” said Ishiba.
With Post Wire Services
