Skip+and+Conquer

= The Votes Are In = The long hours spent over the debate to invade Iwo Jima came to a close after General Douglas MacArthur put down the idea to invade Iwo Jima due to the loss that the United States would have faced. Macarthur and his other officers, General Nimitz, Raymond Spruance, believed that Iwo Jima was not an essential Island to invade because western islands closer to mainland would give the United States a greater strategic advantage. At this point in the war, the United States was using a large amount or resources to finish the war in the Pacific, and any available resources had to be used with caution, in order to be effective. After a long Champaign costing many lives, General MacArthur and his men came to the conclusion that Iwo Jima was not worth investing lives in. Instead of invading Iwo Jima, the United States shifted there focus towards the western Island of Okinawa.

=Okinawa = The goal of the Invasion of Okinawa was to use the large island as a base for air operations to facilitate "Operation Downfall". The Invasion took place on February 20th, 1945 and continued 80 days until the United States finished their secret plan for mainland Japan, the Manhattan Project.
 * [[image:okinowa.jpg align="left" caption="An American Soldier runs through the battle field on the Island of Okinawa. (1945)"]] ||
 * An American Soldier runs through the battle field on the Island of Okinawa. (1945)

This plan was to drop newly developed atomic bombs two key locations on Japanese soil. Finally ready for the attack, the United States sent in B-29 bombers to drop the atomic bombs. The US sent these bombers just 80 miles west of Iwo Jima and the Japanese radar system on Iwo Jima picked up the aircrafts signals and sent in fighter planes to take these US bombers out. This officially ended the Manhattan project for the United States. Now, America had to beat the Japanese through the Operation Downfall, a massive land invasion through mainland japan. ||

=Operation Downfall =
 * [[image:savingryan.jpg caption="American Soldiers entering the shores of mainland Japan. (1946)"]] ||
 * American Soldiers entering the shores of mainland Japan. (1946) ||

General Douglas MacArthur along with General Nimitz and Spurance, planned a massive land invasion similar to the invasion at D-Day in France. British and American troops landed on Kyushu and Kanto Beach on January 17th, 1946. The Japanese were well prepared and built bunker systems to defend the shores. The Beaches were captured after hours spent and the Allies faced