Okinawa marks 80 years since end of one of harshest WWII battles with pledge to share tragic history [View all]
Source: AP
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Updated 3:06 AM CDT, June 23, 2025
TOKYO (AP) — Okinawa marked the 80th anniversary of the end of one of the harshest battles of World War II fought on the southern island.
With global tensions escalating, its governor said on Monday it is the Okinawan “mission” to keep telling the tragic history and its impact today.
The Battle of Okinawa killed a quarter of the island’s population, leading to a 27-year U.S. occupation and a heavy American troop presence to date.
Monday’s memorial comes one day after U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, adding to a sense of uncertainty on the island about the heavy American military presence and in its remote islands, already worried about getting embroiled in a potential conflict in Taiwan.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/japan-battle-okinawa-us-wwii-memorial-4cb77792588781f5460d162aeab8b191
= new reply since forum marked as read