The Old Breed on Okinawa

When the men of the 1^st Marine Division landed on the shores of Okinawa on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, they undertook what was to be the last invasion by United States forces in the Pacific. With an invasion combat record that began with the first U.S. amphibious assault of World War II at Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, the 1^st Marine Division was as experienced as any U.S. fighting force when it came to retaking islands that were bitterly defended by forces of Imperial Japan. Battle-hardened by action on Guadalcanal, New Britain and Peleliu, the Marines knew all too well what to expect from the Japanese: stubborn, in-depth, well dug-in defenses that were defended to the death. The battle for Okinawa was no different, and as had been the case with previous island invasions, each operation claimed more lives than was expected. The invasion of, and eventual victory on Okinawa marked a very bloody end to a very bloody trail of island victories. By the time the island was declared secure on June 22, 1945, over 60,000 American Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen were killed, wounded or missing.

This piece of Framed History honors the men of the 1^st Marine Division, the division in the vanguard of U.S. forces retaking the Pacific in World War II. The division patch recognizes this, as the name “Guadalcanal” is printed within the division’s number on the patch.

In recognition of the 1^st Marine Division’s participation in the battle for Okinawa, the photograph depicts two marines of the Old Breed as the Division assaults Wana Ridge, a part of the Shuri Line that the Japanese defenders had established to protect the town of Shuri and Shuri Castle, which was the center of their defenses. Realizing that defeating the American forces was unlikely, Japanese Lt. General Mitsuru Ushijima decided instead to focus on killing and wounding as many Americans as possible in a protracted battle of attrition. His defenses in depth were established to achieve that end. When the battle was over, the United States forces had suffered a casualty rate of 35%. One in three were killed or wounded, a frightening statistic that gave pause to those considering an invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. As a result, when the time came to decide on whether to use the atomic bombs against Japan, the casualties suffered on Okinawa were cited as a reason to avoid a direct invasion of Japan if unconditional surrender could be achieved by other means. Of course before any of that came to be, Okinawa had to be taken. And the battle for Wana Ridge was like many on the island. The Americans would move forward during the day, and the Japanese would counterattack at night. The photograph shows two marines during an advance on Wana Ridge, with one of the marines returning fire with his Thompson submachine gun. The other marine is armed with a B.A.R., and crouches to avoid Japanese fire. The photograph was taken by S/Sgt Walter F. Kleine in early May 1945 (Picture credit: National Archives).

The finished piece measures 11” x 24”. The photograph is matted with a metal United States Marine Corps Seal, and with authentic reproductions of the 1^st Marine Division shoulder patch, Private First Class chevron, and a Bronze Star medal, of which many were awarded to participants of the battle for Okinawa.

The print is matted in medium olive, with a steel blue inner mat on which the patches, medal and seal are mounted. The frame is black metal (other frame colors are available…contact us for info). Please see the “Frame Info” tab for complete information on how we frame our artwork. Item price includes ground shipping to the continental U.S.