Japan, US mark 70th year since Battle of Iwojima

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (R) and other Japanese officials offer a wreath during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima on Iwo Jima, now known officially as Ioto, on March 21, 2015. Dozens of US veterans gathered on the tiny, barren island of Iwo Jima on March 21 to mark the 70th anniversary of one of the bloodiest and most iconic battles of World War II. - AFP

A picture of US troops raising the Stars and Stripes on the island’s highest point, Mount Suribachi, became a symbol of US victory in the war.