The Death of an Empire

Chapter Three, Losing a Grip

The captain prepares to take the heads off of the soldier waiting there Kuribayashi walks "captain stop this moment!"

The captain puts down his sword. "what has happened here?"

"Sir, these men retreated from suribachi. As of ths moment, we lost Suribachi!"

The next day, American soldiers climb the mountain and capture the hill. A flag goes up on the hill, raised by six men, and becomes one of the most famous pictures of world war two. The captain turns tp Kuribayashi, "I promise you that my men and I will capture the hill for you, I will put this flag ontop of Suribachi in the name of the Emperor."

The next night at 8:00, a group of over 1,000 Japanese soldiers head towards Suribachi including Hinata. The Captain yells "Attack!" all thousand soldiers run into the Americans with thier bayonets. The Americans scream as they are pierced by the bayonets of the Japanese. The American heavy machine guns open fire as the Japanese overwhelm the first line. Most of the Japanese soldier are lying on the ground in a pool of blood. A handful of Japanese soldiers have made it through including Hinata. The captain with his sword out leads the attack he raises the flag of Japan and screams "In the name of the Emporer!" The Americans last line stands between the Japanese and victory for them. The Americans open fire, the captain falls to the ground.

The others run foward and and try to finish off the last line. It's no use though, they are all stopped in thier tracks. Hinata and five other soldiers run back to the caves.

When morning comes, the americans lose over 70 soldiers and the Japanese over 900.

Joe walks with a group of 300 men go for the airfield on Iwo Jima. Artilary and and airstrikes pumble the airfield. Most of the defenders leave the airfield and head for the north caves. the remainder of the defenders are going to make sure the Americans pay for every yard of the airfield. a brutal fight breaks out.

Joe takes his 3 remaining men to cover. the set up a heavy machine gun, and dig in. They open fire, the Japanese soldiers return fire. The constant sound of gunfire fills the air and the screams of the dying. Joe loads the machine again. when suddenly a grenade huts one of his squadmates. Joe yells "go! move!" he picks up the grenade but a bullet goes through his hand. he drops the grenade and it detonates.

Hinata sits down as a Soldier comes by with some food, "Is this it?"

The soldier turns around "It's all we have, make it last." commander Nishi walks by. Hinata stands up, "aren't you yhat famous horse rider who led Japan to victory in the olympics?"

He nods his head and walks off. In the distance the faint sound of gunshots fill the air. Hinata closing his eyes, remebers a time long ago when he was only 8 years old. His father was a samurai, who went up against the empire in a terrible massacre with other samurai clans. Before his father was taken by the imperial soldiers, he made Hinata promise to honour the bushido and teach thier ways. he hid as he watched his father slice the hands andnheads off of the soldiers taking him, and then a gunshot. his father falls to his knees and dies.

He remebers his wife, Hinata owned one of the best Sushi restuarants in Hagashiyama district. Then the athorities came taking away everything, and then he had to leave.

suddenly the cave shakes, a soldier runs by "get up now!"

The soldier screams as a bulley passes through his leg the soldier falls to the ground crying pain. The Americans come, Hinata pretends he is dead. the soldiers look at the soldier in pain. they take out a pistol. the soldier cries "no wait, i surrender" the Americans takes the killing him. A squad of Japanese soldiers run over and begin taking out the Americans. They take one soldier and begin bayoneting him over and over again. The American marines blood stains the wall andnhis screaming fills the cave.

finally they kill him.

Nishi runs in " we need to move!"