Forever etched into history with its famous image of U.S. Marines hoisting 'Old Glory' over Mount Suribachi, the Battle of lwo Jima reveals a far greater story than just an iconic photograph. The Americans wanted the small island for its strategic airfields, which would bring their bombers within range of Japan's home islands; for the ragged Japanese, it represented a last-ditch effort to stop the oncoming Allied juggernaut on its island-hopping march towards Tokyo. The result was one of the bloodiest battles of the war, as fortified Japanese defenders gave no quarter to the wave of men and steel that crashed onto the volcanic blacks sands of lwo Jima.

Additional interview footage with war veterans Jack Werner, Chaeles Scheffel, Roscoe Blunt Jr, Jimmie Kanaya, Shelby Westbrook, and Jack Yusen.

Historian Don Miller, Producer Lou Reda, and others talk about searching for and obtaining the footage used in the series.

Historian Don Miller, Producer Lou Reda, and others talk about the state of the source materials and efforts made to restore and preserve them for future generations.