June 2011 - Peace Prayer Park

In June 2011, I went to Peace Prayer Park with work. It is a memorial park for the Battle of Okinawa for World War II. I got a nice big history lesson and a chance to see the history that fills this island.
Here is one of the caves that the Okinawans hid in during the war. Very sad stories come with this that I will not share here:

This is one of the battle sites, the stairs lead to another memorial. The wall in front is a piece of concrete left from the war, with bullet holes still there.

They are still recovering weapons from the war. Divers find things in the water, stuff turns up on the beaches, things can be found in the jungles. It's everywhere. This gun was found only a few months earlier on one of the Marine bases.

Paper cranes made by Japanese elementary students for peace. These hang in the beginning of the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters. The war was mostly strategized underground.

Map:

Showing US forces:

You can click and read this one:

Walking thru the underground headquarters. Very low and tight.

The corner stone of peace. Memorial at Peace Prayer Park. Beautiful scene:

Peace:

In the background are walls with the names of those who lost their lives. American and Japanese.

The Walls: