Hicks makes First Visit to Japan, Emphasizes US-Japan Alliance at Iwo Jima

The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, attended a memorial ceremony on Saturday at Iwo Jima to commemorate the fallen soldiers in this pivotal battle of World War II. He praised the friendship and mutual trust between the United States and Japan, promising to strengthen the alliance between the two countries.

According to reports from the Associated Press, Japan was the second stop on Hegseth’s first Asian tour since taking office. His visit comes at a time when Beijing is increasingly assertive in the disputed South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region. The day before, Hegseth visited the Philippines, where he vowed to enhance military alliance with the Philippines to “rebuild deterrence” against Chinese “aggression” in the Indo-Pacific region, in order to maintain regional peace together.

“Our visit is to strengthen the partnership with the Philippines, and we will deepen cooperation with Japan in the same way,” he said. The U.S., Japan, and the Philippines have previously conducted a trilateral eighth joint naval exercise in the South China Sea.

On Saturday, Hegseth arrived at Iwo Jima and participated in the “Reunion of Honor” memorial ceremony along with Japan’s Defense Minister Moto, Prime Minister Shigeru, and other officials.

The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the intense battles fought by American and Japanese soldiers during World War II. Several American veterans who participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima and relatives of fallen Japanese soldiers also attended Saturday’s commemoration event.

“Iwo Jima embodies our shared warrior spirit, dedication to nation and mission, and reverence for courageous predecessors,” Hegseth said during his speech at the first U.S.-Japan joint memorial erected in 1985.

“The U.S.-Japan alliance demonstrates how former enemies have become friends today,” Hegseth said. “Our alliance has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of freedom, prosperity, security, and peace in the Indo-Pacific region.”

He expressed that even though many of the soldiers who fought on this small island have passed away, their memory will forever be cherished. He particularly thanked six American veterans in their nineties who attended the memorial ceremony.

Navy Corpsman Charles Cram landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, and was wounded in action. Most of the 250 Marine Corpsmen who landed on the island with him have since passed away.

At the age of 99, Cram mentioned that this was his first return to Iwo Jima since the battle 80 years ago. As a symbol of reconciliation, Cram stated that he will return a flag he had taken from a Japanese soldier back then to a Japanese official in hopes of it reaching the soldier’s family.

On March 23, 1945, six U.S. Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi, which was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, becoming the most famous image from the Battle of Iwo Jima that lasted from February 19 to March 26 of that year.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru expressed, “We must never forget that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today are built on the sacrifices of those heroes who perished in war and the tireless efforts of the people over the past 80 years.” He also became the first sitting Japanese Prime Minister to attend the joint memorial ceremony at Iwo Jima.

As threats from China, North Korea, and Russia are becoming more severe, Japan is accelerating its military buildup and closely cooperating with the U.S.

On Sunday, Hegseth will hold talks with Moto in Tokyo to discuss further strengthening bilateral alliance.

Recent polls show that the Japanese people have a higher favorability towards the United States than any other country.