Of the approximately 21,000 Japanese defenders, only around 200 survived to be taken prisoner.

Ira Hayes landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 — the first day, on the black sand beach, under fire from positions he could not see.

He survived the first day when many around him did not.

He was among the Marines selected to assault Mount Suribachi.

What It Cost To Get To The Top Of That Mountain

Mount Suribachi is not an impressive peak by any objective geological standard.

It rises 556 feet above sea level at the southern tip of Iwo Jima — about the height of a moderately tall office building.