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On April 1, 1945, the United States army landed on the Japanese island of Okinawa, the closest the Americans had yet been to the Japanese home islands. The landing, under the command of Lieutenant General Simon Buckner, consisted of nearly 200,000 troops (2 Marine Divisions and 2 Army Divisions) and would be the last major American assault in the Pacific. Because Okinawa was a Japanese island (not just a Japanese-held island), the defense was fiercer than usual. Like Iwo Jima, the Japanese defenders waited until the Americans were ashore before beginning their resistance. The Marines pushed north on the island while the Army moved south--two major airfields were taken in the first few days of fighting. (MORE)

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