My late Dad joined the Marines before WWII and saw it from end-to-end. He was on the raid on Choiseul, Bougainville and the first wave ashore on Iwo Jima.
He also was waiting in the Tokyo harbor when the the surrender was signed on the U.S. Missouri. The Marines went ashore the next morning to gather weapons. I asked Dad if it was difficult or scary and he said "not at all. When the emperor said it was over it was over."
He said as they went up into the hills the Japanese soldiers led them right to everything. The reason I added this was the other thing he told me about that experience. He said that every time they took a break the Japanese soldier would pull a glove and ball from their back pockets and want the Marines to play catch with them!
Don't get me wrong, he lived until 95 and never really cared too much for the Japanese, he said he just saw too much.
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