Which key strongholds anchor a Japanese Defense line guarding the heart of the homeland. The american front lines advanced to guam and saipan, had now stood iwo jima, the most heavily fortified island in the world. Buried deep underground late 20 years of japanese preparation. 20,000 of their toughest fighting men waited for us to make the first move. And they do not have to wait long. The navy begins to soften the island so we can land. [explosions] planes from our Carrier Force take off to strafe and bomb. [planes flying in] [bombings] gunboats move in close to work over enemy beach installations. Enemy fire gets closer. [machine gunning] dday, the beginning of the toughest 26 days in marine corps history. We watch the Center Control vessels, when this flag drops, our Landing Craft will head for the beach. [explosions] 500 Landing Craft and ten waves advance on 3000 yards of beach. [machine gunning] enemy fire keeps us pinned down. We want to pull the beach over our heads like a blanket. Get ourcal corps men wounded out fast. Our tanks come ashore and grind in land. [explosions] we are able to advance from yellow beach, but it is slow going. [gunfire] we run into trouble on the green beach. From there fortified positions on mounts are a bocce, the japanese look right down our throats. Mount suribachi [explosions] we need help. We call the command ship standing offshore. Code] our message is received. They command airplanes circling the target. The flight leader receives instructions. Overhead] [explosions] as we hit suribachi from the air, support ships deliver point blank fire. After 72 hours of continuous pounding, our patrols move with move forward. [explosions] barrage searches out hidden machine gun nests. [gunning] keep a sharp lookout for snipers. Admiral turner gives the order to cease fire. Our guns are quiet as they make the climb. We wait for a sign, that suribachi is ours. Suribachi is ours. The toehold on the southern tip of the island. But ahead, the main strength of the Japanese Garrison was entrenched and steel and concrete, the show is just beginning. Guardsmen rush supplies ashore the big push for the big push north. [explosions] [machine gun fire] ricocheting] they never saw japanese but fire was coming out of every hole and every rock. It was tough going. Many did not make it. [mournful music] cross fire ahead is murderous. [gunning] rocket trucks go into action. Overhead] [gunfire] they spot our position. We dont even have time to remove our dead. Exploding]ing, there are heavy defenses on the ridge overlooking this plain. They draw a bead on us again. [explosions] they chase us off there five times. We came back six. Music, sad music] we brought in our wounded and took a breather. The injured are carried to the rear. Plasma is given on the way. Hospital dugouts are ready for anything. And we are ready to advance again. [whistle] we call for artillery. [explosions] an artillery duel develops at night. [explosions] one of our ammunition dumps goes up. [explosions] uptwo weeks we have cleaned plenty of japanese between here and suribachi. Many to bere still taken out with thousands fighting from pillboxes and case. We have to go in and dig them out one by one. [machine gun fire] what we cannot dig them out, we. Urn them out [suspenseful music] while we fought, we prayed. Music]ul wreckage along the beach was only a small cost of 26 days of fighting. Only a small part of the cost of 26 days of fighting. Beautiful queenie and there are other names too. The names of our friends. We stack the helmets of our dead in neat piles. The helmets of 4000 men who died to take a tiny island somewhere in the pacific. [taps] youre right, marine. You have taken a tiny island. But it is not just eight square miles of iraq. Today it is an american fortress , only four hours from tokyo. Today from your little island, giant Striking Forces are launched against of the heart of japan. Arey our planes and ships blasting the enemy into ashes at the foot of mount could llama. Fujiyama. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we triumphn the inevitable so help us god. Of the battle hymn republic] you can watch archival films on Public Affairs in their entirety on our weekly series reel america, saturday at 10 to copy p. M. And sunday at 4 00 p. M. Eastern here on American History tv. Tonight on q a, we discussed notable speakers of the house with the Catholic University of America Political science professor matthew greene. We have, a lot of a long way from the days of sam rayburn and dwight eisenhower, the idea that you are together even if you are together even if youre in separate elected institutions and this idea that the speaker in particular should be deferential to the president. That is just not what we are seeing now. There is a way in which that is a sign of a healthy vigorous partisan differences, if you disagree with the president or the speaker you should not be afraid to say so. But i think, and this is what troubles me and i have written about this but there are certain ways in which our elected officials, we expect to kind of share some common agreement on issues, released a sense that they have these Important Role to play, these institutional roles that should rise above their policy differences. Watch tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan q a. South of amarillo is the panhandle Historical Museum in texas. Up next, we take you inside as we hear the story of kansas citys influence on the velvet of amarillo