Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Remarks at the 80th Reunion of Honor Ceremony on Iwo Jima

Honoring Sacrifice and Valor

• 🇺🇸🇯🇵 It is an absolute honor and privilege to stand on the Hallowed Ground of Iwo Jima, remembering the over 880,000 Marines, Soldiers, and Sailors from the US and Japan who fought here, with over 26,000 casualties.
• 💡 Today, we revere their courage, remember their valor and sacrifice, and recommit ourselves to faith and belief in our alliance and to peace.

The Battle for Iwo Jima

• 🎯 Iwo Jima, with its strategic location, was destined for battle, with Japanese forces under General Kuribayashi preparing defenses for eight months.
• ⚔️ The battle raged for 36 days, with American Marines fighting yard by yard, often hand by hand, prevailing through duty, all-giving effort, and refusal to give up.
• 🎖️ Twenty-two Marines earned the Medal of Honor, including Private First Class Doug Jacobson, who single-handedly knocked out 16 Japanese positions.

A Full Spectrum Effort

• 🩹 Victory at Iwo Jima was a full-spectrum effort, with soldiers arriving as reinforcements, Navy Corpsmen caring for the wounded (four of whom also received the Medal of Honor), and Navy Seabees repairing vital airfields.
• ✈️ Over 2,200 bombers made emergency landings on the island, highlighting its critical role.

Enduring Legacy and Alliance

• 🤝 The memory of the warriors from both nations lives on, as exemplified by the sentiment, "Yesterday's enemy, today's friend."
• 🕊️ The US-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of freedom, prosperity, security, and peace in the Indo-Pacific, demonstrating how yesterday's enemy has become today's friend.
• 🌟 The brave example of those who fought inspires us to serve selflessly, summon courage, and dedicate ourselves to our countries, families, and each other.
• 🙏 We are fortunate to stand together as friends and allies, living their legacy of honor.