Hello everyone, I found this website and figured it would be a good place to relate my own experience, amongst skeptical viewers, rather than other places which seem to consist of people full of certainty . On that, the following one can say everything I write is simply bullshit…but for argument's sake assume it is a valid recounting.

In March of 2010 I was stationed in Okinawa and my unit was tasked with hosting and supporting the 65th Anniversary commemoration of the Iwo Jima battle. I am a 19 year veteran of the Marine Corps, and my unit is a radio platoon…the support being to provide communications throughout the island as well as with the ship which brought us there. Now bear in mind I already knew the history very well prior to landing there, but it doesn't take a history buff to know that almost 30,000 young men died violent deaths there in about 35 days. The island is very forlorn and, well, spooky…so psychology cannot be discounted.

Here it what either I experienced, or was told by others what they experienced.

–>"Shadow Men". On the first night we had established a radio site atop Mt Suribachi near the memorial. We were supposed to be escorted by the local Japanese defense force stationed there; but it is a common belief amongst them that "ghosts" reside around the mountain, which come out at night (why do ghosts only seem to be nocturnal creatures?). These folks are stationed here for two years with NO women, so no wonder if they are a little nutty. It was the ideal location (just as it was during the battle). We had a clear LOS with the ship and the rest of the island. Well, being a Marine of the more senior variety, I chose to have the younger guys stand watch while I got some shut eye after the sun went down. At about 0200 (2am for you civilians) I was woken up by one of my Marines with wide eyes…"SSgt, LOOK!" he whispered loudly and pointed north, down the slope. My first question that actually came to my mind was "Why are you whispering?" but I dutifully looked. After I wiped away the sleep-glue and my eyes adjusted, I could clearly see, well…shapes. Shadows. It was a clear night, half moon I think…and we were surrounded by short brush that covered the mountain…which is what I thought I was seeing, brush swaying in the gentle sea breeze (at first). But as I gazed further I noticed they were doing things that brushes do not…they were moving, shifting locations in a haphazard manner, not in harmony with the constant direction of the breeze…there were dozens of them and I could visually compare them to the brushes. To be fair, the size was about the same height as the brush (about three feet tall that I could reckon). The best description would be a shadow man buried up to the waist. Vaguely shaped heads, torsos, and maybe arms(?). I really don't know. But the spookiest part was the whispering, although looking back that was probably the wind and my own mind. We did not investigate at first, but "held our position" in astonishment, until a braver soul stood up and approached…the nearest being about 20 meters away. After about five steps they disappeared and did not return that night. Later, about 4am, we were all awake hoping to reexperience whatever this illusion was…came the cry for a Corpsman. For about a minute we all could faintly hear, on the wind, the word "Corpsman" several times. Not someone screaming in bloody agony…but a soft, pathetic cry…rather faint but distinct. That was the last time I spent on Mt Suribachi, but the same crew spent three days up there and reexperienced the "shadows" on the third night (I guess they took a break the second night). The weather and ambient light remained the same all three nights.

–>"The cave dweller". This was recounted to me by one of my Marines. Sometime on the first night, he being posted at the base of the mountain, decided to investigate a nearby cave (which was forbidden) and I suppose relieve himself. After entering, he shined a flashlight and saw a very Japanese face who seemed to be in terror from behind a rock. The Marine, perhaps not of the tough variety, dropped his flashlight and ran. My thoughts on this was the Japanese guy was of the 2010 variety either taking a crud, or taking some personal time to reflect on the female Marines we brought with us, the first women they've undoubtedly seen in months.

–>"Ghost transmissions". This is another item I did not experience, but had it recounted to me by a very solid NCO who still doesn't believe in "ghosts". On watch in the COC (basically the HQ), one night, they could clearly hear what sounded like detonations through the squelch. Perhaps nothing. But shortly afterwards they could here Japanese voices speaking frantically with the sound of explosions in the back ground. All three on watch that night heard it, which lasted for about 30 minutes. Now, I know what you are thinking…that Iwo Jima lies in Japanese territory and us not having knowledge of the language could easily mistake this to be simply ship-to-ship chit chat with some flux in the squelch that could be mistaken for "explosions".  I thought if this, and this holds some weight…if this had been an HF net, which can pick up wierd transmissions all over the world and is commonly used by ships of all types and nationalities. Also in some extreme cases there have been "ghost transmissions" recorded in HF, as some of these transmissions can bounce around for decades (although that would be ironic to have just such a transmission in the exact location of the battle, but that goes without saying). But this was VHF, short range and LOS, which was encrypted with freq-hop enabled…

–>Summary. I am a Marine communicator, not a scientist, but I do have a somewhat analytical and logical mind. I say I don't know about ghosts because I have never experienced one (save, possibly, for this time). I truly think the events on the mountain was a combination of lighting, wind, and visual tricks of the mind enhanced by our collective psychology at the time…but I really don't know, I can't explain it. The guy in the cave, I think, was just what I surmised…a modern national in corporeal form; but I wasn't there. Perhaps he didn't actually see anything at all, or maybe even lied about it. Maybe it was a ghost taking a ghost crud. The ghost transmissions once again I did not myself experience, but the source was reliable from my standpoint. My only explaination was he was mistaken about it being VHF, or that the VHF was actually on single-channel uncovered but he believed otherwise (it does happen), and was being interfered with the nationals with a similar frequency.

In any case, the event was a success, and we departed just a little more reflective than we were before. Ghosts or not, Iwo Jima is one of the saddest places I have ever visited. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the presence of thousands of souls of young men who died so far from their homeland is unmistakable.

Hi Learjet,

Sorry I have been out of pocket the past couple weeks. Yes I know about VHF/UHF propogation, and the fact that can "bounce around" for quite some distance. But it rarely happens. As I am sure you already know most of the strange effects (Sporadic E, solar activity, etc) occur more with HF. And as a disclaimer, I am NOT a wizard with the radios, more an aspiring history teacher…I am familiar with them but no "amateur" (in the true sense of the definition =love of, ergo I am an "amateur" historian) so I have no problem being schooled by anyone who knows more than me. Of note, we were supposed to be in FH (frequency hop) on all nets (VHF/UHF/DAMA/HF).  

The date was mid-March 2010. The weather was clear with scattered clouds, and I believe the wind was about 10 knots SSW. No knowledge of any storms, but that could be possible.

I think the real deal for me was my naturally sceptical brain trying to rationalize what I was seeing/experiencing. I suppose for me the question of ghosts being real or not is about as scientifically valid as whether or not God exists. The scientific proof/non-proof won't matter. Of all the people there, you could split believers/non-believers in half both before and after the experience. So for me, the question is philisophical (or perhaps spiritual, depending on your point of view) and the jury is still out.

Irregardless, there is nothing cooler than a good old fashion ghost story!