Accumulating more than 300,000 casualties, the battle is also known as the "Typhoon of Steel," or "tetsu no ame" in Japanese.

Since 1996, Marine Corps Community Services Tours has provided Marines the opportunity to tour the battlegrounds and ruins of the epic battle, according to Chris Majewski, a former Marine and tour guide for MCCS here for more than a decade.

"Marines tend to be extremely history oriented, and there's been a lot of publicity surrounding World War II with movies and books over the years," Majewski said. "As a result, the battle sites tours are consistently the most popular tour we offer."

More than a dozen Marines participated in MCCS' most recent battle sites tour, June 22.

Majewski started the day by educating the Marines on Japan's history, describing the earlier days of the shogun and samurai.

"History makes us who and what we are - if you don't know it, you're bound to repeat it," Majewski said. "Anyone can sit in a library and read history, but actually seeing it and living it is another experience." 

The battle sites tour began at Kakazu Ridge in Taladai Park, Ginowan City. The steep ridge, which faces Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, was the site of some of the bloodiest fighting in the Battle of Okinawa.

More than 240,000 people died on this ridge, including 14,000 Americans, approximately 149,000 Okinawans, and almost 77,000 Japanese.

On top of the ridge is a two-story memorial dome that pans outward, providing a bird's-eye view of a large portion of Okinawa.

"It was really neat to see the scenery from way up there and be able to pinpoint the places where the battle took place," said Lance Cpl. Dominique Chambers, a commercial clerk with the Provost Marshall's Office, Headquarters & Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base, Camp Butler. "It was awesome to see where and how the Japanese fortified themselves from a different angle."

The next stop on the tour was the Battle of Okinawa Historical Display on Camp Kinser, which houses actual battle and postwar artifacts, including uniforms, tools and weapons.

Marines were given the chance to see and hold weapons used by both the Marines and Imperial Japanese Army and hear how they were used and where they were found.

"Visiting the display isn't like just sitting on Grandpa's couch listening to old war stories," Majewski said of the display. "We have artifacts and information from each side of the fence, from the Kamikaze to Seabees to the Marines. The Marines can actually touch the displays and put themselves in the warriors' shoes."

Next, Marines visited the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters, which housed the Japanese Naval Base Force, commanded by Rear Adm. Ota Minoru, during the battle.

Considered a defensive masterpiece by many, the cave dwellings were constructed over the course of four months by 1,000 Okinawan workers for occupation by more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers.

The headquarters has since been converted into a museum displaying a series of underground caves showing tourists the living conditions of the Japanese soldiers during the war.

"Visiting the caves was my favorite part of the tour," said Chambers. "I really liked how they kept the originality of the caves intact to let us experience what it was like to live in such conditions."

The highlight of the tour was the last stop at the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, a massive dedication to the memory of those who fought and died in the battle.

The park features an indoor museum, the Cornerstone of Peace [an outdoor memorial for fallen warriors from each nation] and a 40-foot tall Prayer for Peace statue displayed inside the Okinawa Peace Hall on Mabuni Hill.

For more information on the Battle of Okinawa or other upcoming tours, contact Marine Corps Community Services Tours at Camp Foster 645-3502 or visit www.mccsokinawa.com.