History Hour: The U.S. Army in the Campaign for Okinawa

Citrus Libraries will be featuring the April installment of the recurring History Hour program on Saturday, April 30 at 1:30 PM at the Homosassa Public Library. Jump back in time as these interactive presentations cover manifold events in numerous eras with discussions of military campaigns and battles from a multitude of time periods. The April program will focus on the role of the U.S. Army in the Battle for Okinawa, which occurred in April-June 1945.

The Battle of Okinawa was the climatic event of the Pacific War. Operation Iceberg, the code-name for the Okinawa operation, involved four Army divisions, all of which were veteran organizations with extensive combat experience. Iceberg was the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific War, and it rivaled that of Normandy (D-Day) in scale, quantity of supporting ships and participating troops, the colossal amount of material necessary for the operation, and the strategic significance of the campaign.

By the conclusion of the campaign for Okinawa, the human cost was staggering for all who were involved – American units, Japanese units, and the Okinawan civilians tragically caught in the ‘typhoon of steel.’ This presentation will focus on the participation of the U.S. Army divisions in the conquest of Okinawa, and will include a lecture, presentation of uniforms and equipment from the campaign, and other items from the respective time period.

To stay up-to-date on all of the classes and programs being offered at the library, you can follow @CitrusLibraries on Facebook and Instagram. You can also view our online calendar at citruslibraries.org.