US Invades Okinawa - 1995 Mint Imperforate Issue
April 1, 1945 With the U.S. rapidly advancing toward Japan, an all-out invasion of the main islands seemed inevitable. The Japanese decided to gamble: If they could hold the neighboring island of Okinawa as long as possible, making the Americans pay dearly with their lives, it might deter the U.S. from invading their homeland. Okinawa soon became the bloodiest island conflict of the war. American losses were the highest of any island encounter, with 48,000 killed and 31,000 wounded. The U.S. Navy also suffered greatly: 32 ships were sunk and another 368 badly damaged, mostly by kamikaze fighter planes. Japanese losses were even worse: a staggering 100,000 troops, the equivalent of an entire army. The forthcoming atomic bomb missions against Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Okinawa the last island battle of the war.
