Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed on Saturday to strengthen the United States’ alliance with Japan as he spoke at a memorial service in honor of those who died in the World War II battle at Iwo Jima.
Hegseth joined other senior United States and Japanese officials in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the battle, which was fought between February 19, 1945, to March 26, 1945, in what the Department of Defense describes as “some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the entire war.”
“I’m humbled to pilgrim — there’s no other way to put it — to this hallowed ground,” Hegseth said. “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.”
A joint US-Japan memorial service for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo…
