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Redlands resident David Maupin and his grandson traveled to Iwo Jima for a historic memorial honoring the 80th anniversary of the WWII battle—an experience that deepened their connection to service, sacrifice, and the meaning of Memorial Day.
After a 3-2 win in their home opener, Redlands FC heads into back-to-back road matchups this weekend—including a rematch with Stars FC and a tough test against reigning conference champs FC Tucson.
Redlands resident David Maupin and his grandson traveled to Iwo Jima for a historic memorial honoring the 80th anniversary of the WWII battle—an experience that deepened their connection to service, sacrifice, and the meaning of Memorial Day.
Local financial advisor David Maupin took his grandson and two friends to the annual commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima in Japan this March. The event ties into the meaning of Memorial Day when Americans honors and mourn fallen service members.
Iwo Jima is a tiny island in the vast Pacific Ocean, about 760 miles from Tokyo. The strategic capture of the island on March 26, 1945 was a turning point for the Allies in World War II.
Americans are only allowed to visit the island once a year on the anniversary of the battle’s final day, March 26, during an event called the Reunion of Honor. This year marked the 80th anniversary.
This was Maupin’s second trip to Iwo Jima. He first visited in 2016 with Greg DePrez, a Naval ROTC student he taught in the 1970s. He returned this year to share the experience with his grandson, who has a growing interest in military history.
The battle began on Feb. 19, 1945, as U.S. Marines invaded the heavily fortified island after months of bombardment, expecting a quick victory. Instead, Japanese forces mounted a brutal, five-week defense from caves and bunkers, resulting in nearly 7,000 American deaths and making it one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history.
The difficulty of the battle raised fears among the Allies of invading mainland Japan, according to the historic account by the National WWII Museum.
The island is where five Marines and a Navy corpsman famously raised a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi. The battle came just four months before the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, effectively ending World War II.
The Reunion of Honor is a somber ceremony where former enemies meet to honor their dead. It is the only commemoration of its kind in the world today. For the Japanese, Iwo Jima is the equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery - more than 11,000 Japanese soldiers are entombed in the island's tunnel systems.
Color guards marched while the national anthems were played by an American Marine band and Japanese Army band. The ceremony included prayers, speeches and wreath laying at the obelisk memorial including formal bowing. "Taps" from both nations could be heard.
The tour “Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor” has been organized by Military Historical Tours for the past 40 years and brings about 130 visitors each year. Nine years ago, at Maupin’s first visit, an American survivor of the battle on Iwo Jima joined the tour plus six other veterans. Surviving veterans become scarcer as time goes by. This year there were only two.
The little group Maupin traveled with all had ties to the military. Cliff Nancarrow is a retired Captain and U.S. Navy Reserve of Timnath, Colorado. Redlands resident Jim Nolin’s parents served as Marines in World War II. And Maupin, also from Redlands, was a Naval Flight Officer and Naval Science professor, Lt of US Navy. His 16-year-old grandson, Nathaniel Rhoda, lives in Worthington, Ohio.
Every male is required to wear a coat and tie stepping foot on the island. Most of the visitors have to do a three mile hike to arrive at the ceremony site.
This year, the grandson of the famous Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi spoke at the ceremony. The U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Japanese prime minister also spoke.
For Maupin, military history is a deep and personal interest. “I have a hobby of visiting all of the historical sites and cemeteries,” he said. He has visited Normandie three times, and been to up to 15 historical military sites around the world.
Nathaniel said after the trip, “What I took away from [the trip] is it is important to understand our history and the importance of having peace through power. And how it is also important to honor the veterans that fought in the war so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.”
Fellow traveler, Jim Nolin agreed, “I think it’s important that we recognize the battles that factored in bringing about the conclusion of those long years of conflict.”
“What saddens me the most," Maupin added, "is when I said where I was going, that kids and even some adults had no idea the significance of Iwo Jima and World War II." He called it a failure of the U.S. education system.
In previous years, Maupin has delivered remembrance remarks in conjunction with Memorial Day and Veterans Day to local students, as well as in service clubs and Plymouth Village. He also helps organize an essay contest each spring for Redlands Unified 5th grade students to write about why they love the American Flag. This spring was the third year.
You can hear David Maupin and others speak at Redlands’ Memorial Day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 26, at Hillside Memorial Park.
Community Forward Redlands
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