What Happened in History: Browse Historical Facts on Kudos 365

The Japanese forces are defeated on Okinawa in World War II. Some sources consider June 22 to be the official date of the end of the battle when a flag-raising ceremony was held by the Tenth Army. While this marked the end of organized resistance, some Japanese soldiers continued to hide in caves and fight. The Japanese defense commander, Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, and his chief of staff committed suicide (hara-kiri) on June 22 rather than surrender. Victory at Okinawa cost more than 12,000 American lives. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000. More