The Armory Life™ is proud to announce that respected military consultant, actor, director and writer Capt. Dale Dye, USMC (Ret) has authored an article on World War II’s Battle of Iwo Jima, commemorating the 79th anniversary of this pivotal battle that began on February 19th, 1945. In this piece, he recounts one of the U.S. Marine Corps’ most revered, yet costly victories.
Beginning with his first trip as a young Marine in the mid-1960s, Capt. Dye has visited that hallowed ground three times. Over these visits, he was able to climb to the location of the famed flag raising on Mount Suribachi, viewing from that vantage point infamous battle sites such as the Quarry, the Amphitheater, Turkey Knob, Hills 362A, B and C, and the Motoyama airstrips.
During his time there, he explored many of these sites as well as crawled through caves packed with rusty weapons, ammo and little housekeeping items left by the men who fought and died there. On one visit, he was able to find rare porcelain mess tins marked with the anchor and rising sun symbol of the Rikusentai, or Japanese Special Naval Landing Force.
“Iwo Jima has always been hallowed ground for Marines, and reading about it or talking to a diminishing number of living veterans who fought on that island is a fascinating experience,” explained Capt. Dye. “Yet personally struggling up through Iwo’s cloying black sand or winding your way up Mt. Suribachi is something else entirely. It’s an experience that touches a Marine’s heart and soul in a special way. It’s a pilgrimage that gives gut-level meaning to terms like ‘service’ and ‘sacrifice.’”
Over the course of his in-depth article, Capt. Dye recounts both his journey and the details of the battle those Marines faced. Laying out the details of the 36 days of brutal combat they endured, he gives us his insights into a battle that cost 7,000 Marines their lives and wounded 20,000 more — yet helped pave the way for the defeat of Japan.
In addition to this article, Capt. Dye has written numerous other articles for The Armory Life, both in its digital and print mediums. You can find a collection of his articles on the website here, and his piece on American armor in the Vietnam War in the Fall 2023 issue of the print magazine.
“We are extremely honored to have Capt. Dye as a contributor,” said Mike Humphries, editor of The Armory Life. “When he proposed this article to us to commemorate the anniversary of this pivotal battle, we jumped at the opportunity. This article, just like all the rest of his pieces, provides a unique voice and insightful perspective to our readers.”
