Mount Suribachi sits in the background of the 67th Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor ceremony here March 14 was secured by U.S. Marines after five days of fighting in the Battle of Iwo Jima, which lasted for 36 days and resulted with nearly 30,000 lives lost from both nations. The ceremony gave both countries the opportunity to honor the service members who lost their lives during the battle. The reunion was sponsored by the Iwo Jima Associations of America and Japan and was coordinated with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of Japan and the U.S. Marine Corps.