Itoman City is located in the south of Okinawa Island. It is well-known as the place of fierce fighting between the Allied forces and Japan during the Greater East Asian War. There are no high mountains and no lakes in the city and its undulating ground is very unique. The most typical characteristic of the city is that there are numerous monuments set up across the city.
Generally speaking, it's the lowest class of soldiers who have the highest possibility of being killed in combat. Then, could you tell me who was the highest class of soldier in the U.S. ever killed in military combat? He is Lieutenant General Buckner so far, who was killed at the top of a hill in Itoman City. I visited his place of death too. The first picture shows the place where he was shot and killed. I'll also upload the picture of the roadsign for the memorial point. His former monument was built by Itomanees, but now it has been transferred into the U.S. camp.
If it were not for the combats here, lots of lives would have been saved. Irrespective of the nationalities, the departed due to the war are here in Itoman City even now commemorated.
Okinawa Island is formed on coral reefs and so it has lots of natural caves underground, which were used as bomb shelters during the war. I visited some of those shelters. I'll write about them in the next article.
(Vocabulary)
Lieutenant General 中将
undulating 《[名]の前でのみ》(フォーマル) 波打つ, (波のように) うねっている
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