Battle for Okinawa 60th Anniversary Medallion

"Ninety percent of the buildings on the island were completely destroyed, and the lush tropical landscape was turned into a vast field of mud, lead, decay and maggots." Wikipedia, Battle for Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa was the largest single operation in the Pacific theater during WWII and one of the most costly during the war. It is estimated that over 250,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians were killed during this single battle that lasted 82 days. American losses alone totaled 7,613 killed or missing in action during this epic battle. A battle so bloody and costly in lives that Japanese referred to it as the "Typhoon of Steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or tetsu no bofu ("violent wind of steel"). Of note is the fact that LtGen. Simon Buckner was killed in this battle (the most senior military commander in WWII to die in combat) as well as the famous reporter Ernie Pyle.