The U.S. Marines on Iwo Jima

by Alvin M. Josephy

Private James C. E. Loitved, a slim youth who didn’t look big enough even to carry the 72-pound flamethrowing apparatus, burned out nine pillboxes in one day. As the other flamethrowers in his outfit were killed or wounded, he worked even “harder and faster,” according to his commanding officer. Finally he was the only man left out of a 17-man detail. Instead of calling for help, he