6th Marine Division on Okinawa
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| To The Shores of Iwo Jima | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | United States Marine Corps |
| Release date(s) | 7 June 1945 |
| Running time | 47 minutes |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The 6th Marine Division on Okinawa (1945) was a Academy Award nominated Kodachrome color documentary film produced about the action of its 6th Division during the Battle of Okinawa. The film was released shortly after the event.
The film begins by outlining the strategic and psychological importance of Okinawa, including its use as a supply base for Japanese forces in Malaya, the Marianas and the Philippines, as well as a "choke hold" over China. It also informs the audience that Okinawa is an actual part of the Japanese homeland, only a few hundred mile from Kyushu.
The movements of the units and their order of battle is carefully traced, from the landings on April first to the assault on Naha. Some interesting footage is also shown on life in northern Okinawa soon after liberation, with the locals setting up a democratic government under the US military and opening up schools while the battle raging in the south.
Some of the more spectacular moments in the film include footage of the use of flame-throwing tanks and close air support in an attempt to dislodge heavily dug-in Japanese defenders. The film ends with a eulogy for all those who died attempting to secure the island, as Marines visit a gigantic graveyard prior to departing for their next objective.
