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bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Japan> Iwo Jima-Okinawa  > The Okinawa Land Battle, © 2026 by Robert A. Christiansen, updated by RAC 29 Nov 2025
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Ryukyu Islands combat, commonly known as the Battle of Okinawa, raged from March to June of 1945.​
The Okinawa Land Battle
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Okinawa is the largest island in Japan's Ryukyu Islands chain. The Ryukyu islands stretch southwest from the Japanese home island of Kyushu to Taiwan, which was known as Formosa in WWII.

The newly-formed US Tenth Army, comprised of both Army and Marine troops, did the ground fighting in the Ryukyu Islands. Initial landings on small islands near Okinawa began on March 26, 1945. April 1 saw the main landing on the southwest shore of Okinawa. Resistance continued until June 21.

Once in American hands, Okinawa became a massive base for the planned invasion of the Home Islands. Although this invasion never happened, Okinawa served as a base for American heavy bombers in the last months of the war (bases for the B-29 very heavy bomber, remained in the Mariana Islands).

Unlike Iwo Jima, Okinawa had a large civilian population, which suffered greatly during the invasion. Civilians died by the thousands from US bombing and artillery fire, from being in harms way after being pressed into service by the Japanese army, and from suicide encouraged by Japanese authorities.
The Ryukyu Islands
The Ryukyu Islands
Six US divisions landed on Okinawa, namely the Army's 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th and the Marine Corps 1st and 6th, later joined by elements of the 2nd Marine Division.

For the first few days, American forces made rapid progress, seizing central and northern Okinawa.

Southern Okinawa was a different story. Combat was fierce and protracted and casualties on all sides were high. Japanese resistance continued until June 21.
Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Dead at Okinawa
Rough estimates for the Okinawa dead are:
  • 9,000 US ground and air troops.
  • 5,000 US navy shipboard personnel.
  • 80,000 Japanese ground troops.
  • 3,700 IJN sailors in Operation Ten-Go on April 7.
  • 1,000 Kamikaze pilots.
  • 40,000 Okinawan civilians impressed into the Japanese military.
  • 100,000 other Okinawan civilians.
The Okinawa campaign claimed two Americans who were well-known at the time:
  • April 18: Ernie Pyle, beloved newspaper columnist, was killed from enemy action on the nearby island of Ie Shima. 
  • June 18: While at the front lines, Lt. Gen. Simon Boliver Buckner Jr., Tenth Army commander, was killed by rock fragments when a Japanese shell landed. Buckner was the highest-ranking United States officer to die from enemy action in WWII. He was the son of a Civil War Confederate general.
Sources for Big Pigeon's WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > The Okinawa Land Battle webpage:​
  • The Ryukyu Islands map is courtesy of Japan Focus.
  • The Battle of Okinawa map is courtesy of http://mickmc.tripod.com.​

Pottawattamie Area WWII Dead - WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > The Okinawa Land Battle: 09-02 - WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > The Okinawa Land Battle (17 dead, updated 16 Nov 2025)
† Bergman, George Eugene, SN 37-752-394, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. C, 384th Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 10 Jun 1945, enemy machine gun fire, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa​
† Broz, Albert James, SN 37-490-921, US Army, Webster & Pott. Cos.
  • 306th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 1 May 1945, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; died instantly when struck by mortar shell near Shuri, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa​
† Caster, John Joseph, SN 37-699-158, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. G, 306th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 28 Apr 1945, Ie Shima, near Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa​
† Cohrs, William Stanley “Dick”, SN 37-733-662, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • 184th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 5 Apr 1945, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa​
​† ​Jessen, Fred Nelsen, SN O-42591, US Marine Corps, Audubon Co.
  • Co. F., 29th Marine Regt., 6th Marine Div.; KIA 8 Jun 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Kemplin, Alvin Gerald, SN 37-699-280, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. G, 32nd Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 23 Apr 1945, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; wounds from an artillery shell.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Keuter, Ambrose J., SN 37-699-242, US Army, Crawford Co.
  • Co. I, 306th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 5 May 1945 NW of Kochi, southern Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; Japanese counterattack.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa.
† Knudsen, Robert Dearld, SN 896,935, US Marine Corps, Pott. Co. & Jackson Co., MO
  • Co. H, 7th Marine Regt., 1st Marine Div., III Amphibious Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 14 May 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† McGee Victor Howard, SN 39-203-439, US Army, Shelby Co.
  • 307th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 10 May 1945 on Shuri Line, southern Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa @ Shuri Line Battles
† ​Pokett, John Frederick "Jack", SN 37-485-635, US Army, Harrison Co.
  • Co. C, 386th Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; DOW 10 Apr 1945, Okinawa, Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Sampson, Lester Alan, SN 37-685-019, US Army, Polk Co.
  • Co. F, 382th Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 19 Apr 1945 near Kakazu Line, southern Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Scheffler, Norvin Herman, SN 982,874, US Marine Corps, Pott. Co.
  • Co. I, 1st Marine Regt., 1st Marine Div., III Amphibious Corps, Tenth Army; WIA 9 May 1945, DOW 10 May 1945, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Smith, Eugene McDaniel, SN 37-699-145, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • Co. C, 306th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 14 May 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan
  • WWII Japan >  Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Wells, Robert Henry, SN 37-659-382, US Army, Audubon Co.
  • 105th Inf. Regt., 27th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 26 Apr 1945 Shuri Line, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa @ Shuri Line Battles
† Wilson, Dallas Arnold, SN 37-699-245, US Army, Harrison Co.
  • Co. K, 305th Inf. Regt., 77th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 13 May 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa
† Winther, Lawrence, SN 37-437-752, US Army, Cass & Audubon Cos.
  • Battery A., 362 Artillery Bn., 96th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; KIA 7 Apr 1945 near Ginowan, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; artillery observer killed by machine gun or mortar.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land ​Battle of Okinawa
† Wittry, Carl Joseph, SN 37-035-985, US Army, Carroll Co.​
  • 184th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div., XXIV Corps, Tenth Army; DOW 1 May 1945 Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan.
  • WWII Japan > Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Land Battle of Okinawa