The Battle of Okinawa is one of the bloodiest and most tragic chapters of the Pacific war, claiming the lives of 110,000 Japanese troops, 140,000 Okinawan civilians and 12,520 American servicemembers. It’s etched in the memory of every survivor. Though their numbers are dwindling — most are in their early 90s — they all have stories to tell, including the moral quandaries they faced.
To help ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of nuclear war, a Japanese photography education organization is hosting a month-long photo exhibition with images that document the death and damage. These rare images survived censorship laws and were collected over several years for the 70th anniversary of the bombing.
A day after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. declared war on Japan, starting a nearly four-year campaign in places most Americans had never heard of. The conflict would end in stunning fashion, with the only two atomic bombs ever used in war. But in the early months of the conflict, the outlook for the Allies looked bleak.
