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#1 The American plan for the invasion of Okinawa was simple: kill so many Japanese, destroy so many aircraft, and sink so many ships that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again. But the Japanese had different goals, which were to kill so many Americans that the United States would never want to go through such a ordeal again.

#2 The American invasion of Okinawa was not as easy as it seemed. The Japanese had planned to let the Americans land on the beaches unopposed, then lure them into well-fortified Japanese positions in the southern part of the island. By day, there would be hardly any Japanese in sight; at night, tens of thousands would shell and attack American lines.

#3 The American invasion of Okinawa was led by General Buckner, who commanded all land forces in the invasion. He looked not at the nature of the island, but at the unprecedented killing power of the American fleet, the logistical capacity of the American army, and the deadly nature of his Marines.

#4 The American generals knew nothing of the challenges of Okinawa's steep gorges and impenetrable terrain, the deadly nature of the kamikaze threat, or the frequency of cloudy and rainy weather over the island. They believed that the defenders would be defeated within days.