U.S. Navy Honors 80th Anniversary of Battle of Okinawa at Candle Lighting

ITOMAN, OKINAWA, Japan (June 22, 2025) — U.S. Navy Sailors and family members joined local Okinawan volunteers at Peace Memorial Park on June 22 to prepare nearly 7,000 candles for a vigil on the eve of Okinawa Memorial Day. The event honored the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa — an 82-day conflict in 1945 that claimed more than 200,000 lives and stands as the deadliest battle of the Pacific theater during WWII.