To accompany feature Japan-Iwojima, 1995-03-14 (photo)

The late Yoshii Kuribayashi, widow of Lieutenant-General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, a Japanese commander at the battle of Iwo Jima which marks its 60th anniversary this year, bows during a Reunion of Honor Memorial Ceremony in this March 14, 1995 picture. An iconic photo ensures that Iwo Jima lives on in America's collective memory, but for many Japanese the bloody island battle is a little remembered step on the path to defeat. American survivors have often recounted tales of the 36-day epic in early 1945 in which nearly 7,000 US Marines and about 21,000 Japanese defenders died. TO ACCOMPANY FEATURE JAPAN-IWOJIMA REUTERS/Eriko Sugita ES/AT