Under the cover of a naval bombardment of more than 100,000 shells, the American military began landing on Okinawa at 8:30 am. It was the beginning of a merciless battle that was later described ...

“Combined with the memory of the ferocious ground battle (the enhancement of the defense capability in Okinawa) has greatly perturbed the residents of Okinawa Prefecture,” Tamaki said.

The Battle of Okinawa erupted in the final stages of World War Two and lasted more than three months. By the end of it, over 200,000 soldiers and civilians were dead.