Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
memorial's plaque reads: “At this spot the 77th Infantry Division lost a buddy Ernie Pyle 18
April 1945.” After the war Ernie Pyle's body was moved to the Memorial Cemetery of the Pa-
cific overlooking Honolulu. Ie's memorial to him is only a few hundred feet west from the
ferry dock when you arrive. A little further up the hill, through town, is the Japanese War
Memorial dedicated to the other 3,500 people (soldiers and civilians) killed on Ie Island in
the conflict. It's called the Monument of Hokon and there's a memorial service for these vic-
tims every year on April 21st.
Niiya-teiya Cave was used as a bomb shelter by 1,000 Ie residents during the invasion of the island.
There are a few other things worth mentioning about Ie. There is a fairly large seaside
cave, Niiya-teiya (
ニイヤテイヤ洞
; Niiya-teiya-hora), to explore. It's on the southwest side of
the island. It was used as a bomb shelter by over a thousand people during the World War II
invasion of the island. For this reason its other name is Sennin-hora (
千人洞
; lit. “1,000 Per-
son Cave”). There is a large stone inside known as Bijuru (
ビジュル
or
びじゅる
) or “Stone of
Power.” Legend has it that if a woman lifts this stone she will soon become pregnant.
Ernie Pyle (1900-1945)
Sadly, this being Okinawa, there are also tragic warime notes on Iejima. Pulitzer prize award-winning
journalist Ernest Taylor Pyle was one of 3,500 killed on this iny island in the Batle of Okinawa. Only
days into the campaign that was to precede the end of World War II, he was shot by a sniper. He'd
been riding in a jeep at the front with the troops, something he had a habit of doing. Pyle is con-
sidered to have been the greatest war correspondent of the World War II, if not all wars. His love
for the ordinary soldier and his disdain for pomp and circumstance were immortalized in the moion
picture
G.I. Joe
. That film featured his coverage of the Italian campaign, another of the most difficult
batles of the war. Pyle also covered the campaigns of North Africa, Sicily and France. Just before the
Batle of Okinawa, he covered the landing at Iwojima. The site of the Ie ambush is marked by a small
memorial and plaque. Each year, on the Sunday closest to April 18th, the American Legion marks the
anniversary of his death with a wreath-laying ceremony.
