Living in the digital age, as we do, the significance of the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima is often dismissed as a campaign that should never have been fought; be that as it may, the following attachment is the U.S. Government explanation as to why the invasion of Iwo Jima was the most essential part of the American strategy to invade Japan.
Although you won't find the information in this particular Yank article, the Marine and Army units that were to play leading rolls in the Japanese invasion were already selected and were at this point in training for the bloody task before them.
If you would care to read about the flag raising on Mount Suribachi, click here.
Click here to read the story of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, as remembered by the photographer Joe Rosenthal.